SC allows OBC quota in MP local body polls, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls it a 'historic day'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 18, 2022) gave the nod for Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in the local body elections in Madhya Pradesh. A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar accepted the OBC commission report and allowed OBC reservation in the Madhya Pradesh local body elections. The Court also directed the Madhya Pradesh election commission to notify election local body elections in one week.

Reacting to the decision, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called it a "historic day". 

"It's a historic day. I thank SC," he SAID.

आज का दिन ऐतिहासिक दिन है और मैं अभिभूत हूं।
||सत्यमेव जयते||
माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालय को मैं प्रणाम करता हूं।
आज मुझे यह कहते हुए संतोष है कि माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने ओबीसी आरक्षण के साथ चुनाव कराने का फैसला दिया है। अब पूरे आनंद के साथ ओबीसी आरक्षण के साथ चुनाव संपन्न होगा। pic.twitter.com/tkavvsBjI4 — Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) May 18, 2022

Earlier on May 10, the Supreme Court had directed the Madhya Pradesh SEC to commence the poll programme for over 23,000 local bodies and issue a notification within two weeks. The top court had made it clear that until the state government completes the triple test formality, no reservation for the OBCs can be provisioned.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government on Tuesday then submitted the second report of the OBC Commission during the hearing on its plea for modification of the May 10 order. The state government contended that the OBC Commission`s report is in relation to the percentage of local body-wise reservation and argued that the court should rely on this report. 

The government has reportedly presented the 2011 population figures for giving OBC reservation. According to this, the total number of OBCs is reported to be 51 per cent of the population. The government believes that if OBCs get reservations on this basis, then justice will be done to them. After hearing all the parties, the apex court had fixed the matter for Wednesday.

(With agency inputs)