Shivraj says no rural poll without OBC reservation
Uncertainty loomed large on elections of rural local bodies (RLB) in Madhya Pradesh, scheduled to held in January and February, 2022, with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday declaring that panchayat elections would not be held without reservation for other backward class (OBC).
Mr Chouhan told the assembly here that he had been in touch with the prime minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and legal experts on the issue for the last three days.
“We are exploring ways
to ensure that panchayat elections are held with reservation for OBC. Elections of RLB will not be held without OBC reservation”, he said.
State public works department (PWD) minister Bhupendra Singh said the government was weighing the options of filing a review petition in the supreme court to reconsider its directive to stay the poll process in the seats reserved for OBC.
“We want that panchayat polls are held with 27 reservations for OBC. We will take a decision as to whether to hold panchayat polls in a day or two”, he added. The state election commission (SEC) on December four announced to hold threephase RLB polls on January six, January 28 and February 16.
The SEC has declared a stay poll process in the seats reserved for OBC in compliance with the supreme court’s directive in this regard.
Former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Kamal Nath exhorted the treasury to pass a unanimous resolution in the house in favour of holding panchayat elections with reservation for OBC.