Maharashtra Local Polls: SC Orders Elections, Sets 50% Reservation Cap
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The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to conduct elections in all local bodies, while ensuring that no seat exceeds a 50% quota cap. The court's order comes in response to petitions seeking implementation of its 2021 judgment, which required all local body polls in the state to be completed by January 31. In a bid to address the issue of excessive reservation, the court divided local bodies into two categories: those where elections have been notified and those where they have not. For the first category, elections will proceed as scheduled, but results in 40 municipal councils and 17 Nagar Panchayats exceeding the 50% mark will be subject to further court orders. For the second category, which includes 336 Panchayat Samitis, 32 Zila Parishads, and 29 municipal corporations, the court ordered elections to proceed, but with a caveat that results will be subject to the outcome of ongoing proceedings related to the identification of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state. The court's decision aims to ensure that local bodies in Maharashtra become functional, as several have been lying vacant for years. However, the exact timeline for reworking seats based on the court's order remains uncertain. The case is set to be heard again on January 21, with the court appointing advocates to compile necessary documents by January 9. The dispute revolves around the implementation of the triple test laid down by the Supreme Court in 2021, which requires a scientific study, determination of reservation quantum, and a 50% cap on total reservation.
