Maharashtra govt should focus on collecting empirical data for OBC quota: Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

The Maharashtra government should focus on compiling empirical data on the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) population as part of the Supreme Court-mandated triple test, so that political reservation for the community can be restored, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly was speaking to reporters after taking part in an all-party meeting chaired here by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to find a solution to the OBC quota crisis.

"The Supreme Court has not struck down the OBC reservation, but only read down a provision. It means that if the Maharashtra government completes the triple-test procedure, political reservation can be restored. The state government should focus on it."

A backward classes commission, which is one of the requirements of the triple-test, has already been set up by the state, Fadnavis said.

"The state government's backward commission needs to compile empirical data so that we can get back the political reservation of OBCs. The state also needs to study the political backwardness of the OBCs," he said.

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Quantification can be done on the basis of sample and there is no need of a census, Fadnavis added.

"We have decided to meet again next Friday to discuss the issue. The law and judiciary department will look into it...When I asked the state government whether it has any alternative plan, I was told that there was no other plan to tackle the issue," the former chief minister said.

In 2019, the BJP-Shiv Sena government had allotted political reservation to OBCs in local governing bodies, but in March this year, the Supreme Court had read it down.

The apex court, while reading down section 12(2)(c) of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act 1961 which provided 27 per cent reservation for persons belonging to backward class, also quashed the notifications issued by the state election commission in 2018 and 2020 to the extent of providing reservation of seats in concerned local bodies for OBCs.

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