Can’t defer local body bypolls, State Election Commission tells Maharashtra govt

The Uddhav Thackeray government can restore the quota by fulfilling certain conditions put by the SC, say experts; bypolls on July 19

The State Election Commission has rejected the MVA government's request to postpone the bye-elections in five districts' local self-government bodies, which are mired in a controversy over the scrapping of the political quota of the other backward class (OBC).

The government is under pressure amid street protests to get the quota restored after the Supreme Court set it aside and asked the SEC to hold elections within the deadline prescribed in its order.

The SEC's stance has created more problems for the state as the Opposition and OBC organisations have decided to stage protests. The BJP will block traffic across the state on Saturday.

The issue has triggered a massive OBC movement in the state, with community leaders cutting across parties raising demands and threatening retaliation.

In fact, some leaders who were upset after being sidelined by their respective parties have become politically active and nursing their
vote banks.

Two days ago, the Cabinet asked Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte to write to the SEC. The reason given for the request was the coronavirus pandemic and the state's inability to provide the SEC the manpower for conducting polls on July 19. The results will be announced the next day.

The SEC said that the polls would be held as scheduled and as directed by the SC. Sources said the SEC feared contempt of court proceedings in case it postponed the bypolls.

The government has decided to move the SC, urging it to ask the Centre for sharing the empirical data on OBCs collected in 2011. The MVA has squarely blamed the BJP-led Centre for the denial.

The OBC quota in five local self-governments was scrapped by the SC, but experts say it applies to all local bodies in the state, including BMC which goes to the polls next year.

There are 27 civic corporations, 36 district bodies, 364 municipal councils, tehsil and village bodies in the state. The quota can be restored if the state fulfils certain conditions put by the apex court.