OBC reservation: Maha’ Cong chief expresses shock over SC’s verdict

Mumbai: Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole on Thursday expressed shock over the Supreme Court’s decision to hold elections of 367 local bodies in the state without OBC reservation.
While it seems that the problem of political reservation for OBCs has been resolved, the court’s decision to hold local bodies’ elections without reservation is shocking, he stated in a press statement.
Patole further said that the political reservation of OBCs in the state was removed during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government, but subsequently the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that succeeded it fought a big court battle to restore the OBC quota.
Due to the obstructionist role of the BJP government at the Centre, the outcome of the OBC reservation case was delayed, he noted.
Finally, acting upon the court’s order, the MVA government set up the Banthia Commission and its report was submitted and accepted by the apex court, giving rise to expectations that OBC quota would be implemented in local self-government bodies such as municipalities and municipal councils, he added.
The MPCC chief called upon everyone to come together and fight for OBC reservation so that no injustice is done to 54 per cent OBC community (UNI)