Apex Court to give final verdict on OBC reservation on Mar 4

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The final verdict on OBC reservation in local self-government bodies is expected from the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Candidates interested in contesting the municipal corporation election are closely watching the court’s decision.

The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) election has not been held for the past five years. The Election Commission had made two attempts to organise the election. However, the process was halted due to the Supreme Court's decision on the OBC reservation. Last month, a hearing was conducted in the Supreme Court regarding the issue of OBC reservation. The court indicated that the final verdict would be delivered on March 4. Even after the final judgment on Tuesday, there is little possibility of elections taking place before the end of May.

The State Election Commission (SEC) will first need to create the wards. This includes publishing draft wards, inviting objections and suggestions, and finalising the wards. Experts from the election department estimate that this entire process will take at least five to six months. Even if the path for OBC reservation is cleared by the Apex Court on Tuesday, elections are expected to be held only after Diwali.