No OBC Quota for local polls without data: Supreme Court

States cannot set aside OBC quota in local polls without data, the Supreme Court has ruled. Rejecting a plea by the Maharashtra government to recall its order, a bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar on Wednesday said 'OBC reserved' seats would be treated as general seats for local body polls till availability of such data on conclusion of a court-mandated 'triple test.'

Responding to the Maharashtra plea, SC on Wednesday asked it to place any information of castes available with the State Backward Classes Commission as interim data. The commission will suggest the way ahead to the state by way of a recommendation for the next round of elections in March.

The MP government said it would undertake the data collection exercise to push ahead with OBC quotas. The court, however, said that all reservations for local elections will have to abide by the court's triple test which mandated data collection to justify reservations.