Mired in quota dispute, local body by-polls postponed by Maharashtra State Election Commission

The polling in 70 segments of the five zilla parishad and 130 constituencies of the 33 panchayat samitis was scheduled on July 19

Empowered by the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has postponed by-elections in the state’s five districts’ local self-government bodies, which are mired in controversy over the scrapping of the political quota for the other backward class (OBC). The commission had rejected the government’s first request because the SC had given it an order to conduct polls after scrapping the quota. But when the SC empowered it to decide in accordance with the pandemic situation in the state, it put off the programme on Friday evening.

The government was under immense pressure amid street protests to get the quota restored after the Supreme Court set it aside, and asked the SEC to hold by-elections within the deadline prescribed in the order. The polling in 70 segments of the five zilla parishad and 130 constituencies of the 33 panchayat samitis was scheduled on July 19, to be followed by the results next day. The SEC said the by-polls will be scheduled after the pandemic improves and COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. It also lifted the model code of conduct.

Also Read: ‘Will launch bigger protests if demands not met’: Maha BJP holds protest for OBC quota in local bodies

The issue has been blown into a big political plank with the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the BJP blaming each other for the legal outcome and the efforts that need to be made to restore the quota.

Not only the opposition but the MVA parties also wanted polls postponed, for political reasons in particular. The Governor had also asked the government to put the polls on hold. The plea was moved in the name of the novel Coronavirus pandemic because the SC itself had questioned the scheduling of elections in some other states in the outbreak. When approached by the state, the SC told the government that the SEC should decide further.

A day before the court’s order came, the OBC quota was raked up in the Assembly last Monday which ultimately resulted in the suspension of 12 BJP legislators. The MVA has passed a resolution seeking the OBC’s empirical data (collected in the 2011 census) and accused the BJP-led Centre of not parting with it. 

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