The Madhya Pradesh Panchayat elections were on Tuesday canceled by the State Election Commission (SEC) after seeking legal opinion from experts. The elections were scheduled from January 6 to February 16. However, the decision is not surprising, as the Shivraj Chouhan government had recently said during the winter session of the state assembly that panchayat elections would not be held without OBCs. Reservation.
The Congress had approached the Supreme Court and the High Court through several petitions challenging the delimitation approved by the Kamal Nath government in 2019 for not adhering to the Shivraj government’s reservation roster and ordering elections as per the delimitation of seats in 2014. Was approached through several petitions.
The Supreme Court, referring to the judgment delivered in the case of Panchayat elections in Maharashtra, had completely banned OBC reservation and ordered the Madhya Pradesh SEC to convert the OBC quota seats to general category before holding the elections.
SEC, Secretary, BS Jamod said that the entire Panchayat election process has been canceled and the candidates who had deposited the security deposit along with the nomination will get the refund. Jamod said the decision has been taken after taking legal opinion from experts.
One of the legal experts submitted his opinion to the commission on Monday, while the opinion of two others was awaited, due to which the decision was deferred till Tuesday.
The state cabinet had a few days ago, while withdrawing the MP Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill, indicated that the panchayat elections would be cancelled. BJP state president VD Sharma, Home Minister Narottam Mishra and others had recently demanded that these elections should be canceled without OBC reservation.
On Monday, the Center had also submitted an application with the SC seeking permission to act as a party in the matter and the top court will take up the matter for hearing on January 3. Shivraj Sarkar had also approached SC for restoration. OBC reservation in Panchayat elections
In order to break the 50% limit of reservation, MP government is required to submit OBC population data before SC and the state government has already ordered collectors to compile OBC population data by January 7.
Reacting to the cancellation of panchayat elections, state minister Bhupendra Singh said the cabinet has withdrawn the bill to pave the way for avoidance of these elections. “We have ensured that the elections are canceled to get justice for the OBCs,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said, ‘Truth has won. We had demanded from the very beginning that fresh delimitation and roster should be followed in the elections. Under our pressure, the government inside the assembly approved a resolution and confirmed that they would not allow panchayat elections to be held without OBC reservation. We demand that these elections be held at the earliest with the new delimitation reservation roster and OBC reservation.”
Senior advocate and Congress leader JP Dhanopia asked the state government to compensate the candidates for the loss suffered in the voting process. The Congress had cornered the BJP in and outside the Madhya Pradesh Assembly over the quota issue, saying that the party never wanted to offer reservation to backward classes, and it was constantly accusing the Congress of denting the OBC interests. was dragging in the court, due to which the voting process was stopped
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