Will not tolerate elections without OBC reservation: Fadnavis

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the party "will not tolerate future elections without OBC reservation."

Speaking to the media here in Nagpur, Fadnavis said, "Supreme Court has made it clear that the empirical data with the Central government is not useful for the triple test. The Constitutional bench has said that for the triple test, the data will be prepared by the State Backward Commission."

Fadnavis added that for the last 2 years, the state govt did not do it and only raised finger towards the Central government. "We appeal to the govt to complete this process in three months. We will not tolerate future elections without OBC reservation," he added.

Earlier, on December 6, the apex court had stayed the 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the local body election of Maharashtra until further orders.

In September, the Maharashtra government had brought an ordinance to ensure reservation to OBC candidates of rural local body elections six months after the Supreme Court struck down the 27 per cent reservation available stating that it has breached the cap mandated by the top court.

The government promulgated the Ordinance to amend the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961 and Maharashtra Village Panchayat Act for Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayats.

On March 4, the apex court ruled that the reservation for OBC in local bodies should not result in exceeding the 50 per cent cap in reservation quota mandated by it.

The pleas contended that the Ordinances provide for 27 per cent reservation to the category of Backward Classes of Citizens was contrary to the judgements of the top court.

( With inputs from ANI )

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