MP govt to move SC for 27% OBC quota

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh will move the Supreme Court against the state high court’s decision to stay 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC), a minister said on Thursday.

The previous Kamal Nath-led Congress government, which lost power in March 2020, increased the OBC reservation from 14% to 27% in March 2019. The high court stayed the decision the same month. On Tuesday, the high court ordered a continuation of its interim stay while allowing the release of a list of selected candidates including for posts of medical officers with 14% OBC reservation. It ordered that 13% of the seats be kept vacant till the final order is issued in the case.

At a meeting of the OBC Welfare Committee, ministers, lawmakers, and community leaders asked CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to get the stay lifted.

State minister Bharat Singh Kushwaha said Chouhan has said the state will move Supreme Court for 27% reservation for

OBCS. He added the state has a 51% OBC population and it is necessary for the community to get a higher proportion of reservation. Bhagat Singh Yadav, who heads the ruling BJP’S OBC cell, said the community has been demanding an increase in quota. “At the meeting, it was decided to move Supreme Court against the high court stay.”

The state government swung into action on the quota issue after Nath and other Congress leaders attacked the government for failing to present the matter in court in an effective manner.

In a series of tweets, Nath said, “Some petitions were filed in the High Court against reservation, but due to lack of proper presentation by the Bjp-led state government, the increased reservation could not be implemented till now. If the government supports the strong side, then the backward classes of Madhya Pradesh will get the benefit of 27% reservation.”

Purushendra Kaurav, the state’s advocate general, refused to comment. The increase in quota for OBCS violated the Supreme Court reservation cap of 50%. In MP, the quota has gone up to 73%.