Maharashtra to move Supreme Court for empirical data on OBCs from Centre: Chhagan Bhujbal

The Maharashtra government will move the Supreme Court against the stay imposed on the local bodies elections in the state on seats where there is the reservation of up to 27 per cent for OBCs. Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said here that the state government will plead in the apex court that the elections to local bodies should either be held for all seats, including those reserved for OBCs, or be postponed altogether.

He said the Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter on December 13. Bhujbal along with senior state government officials met senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who will argue the matter on behalf of the state government.

He demanded that the state government would argue in the Supreme Court that it make available the empirical data gathered from the socio-economic and caste census.


The Supreme Court on Monday stayed till further orders the local body elections in Maharashtra on seats where there is the reservation of up to 27 per cent for the OBCs.

The apex court had made it clear that the election process for the other seats would continue.

In the light of the Supreme Court order, the Maharashtra State Election Commission on Tuesday said the elections to ZPs and panchayat samitis on all seats except for those reserved for OBCs will be held as per the schedule on December 21.

Over 400 out of 1,200 seats reserved for the OBCs will now have to wait for the next orders of the apex court.