BHOPAL: For ruling BJP, the Supreme Court’s order on Wednesday restoring OBC reservations in Madhya Pradesh has come as a great relief before the panchayat and urban civic body polls. With state assembly elections due next year, the BJP was concerned that if the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government failed to get reservations for OBCs in the civic polls, there could be major repercussions in November 2023. After all, it was a question of the reservation rights of half the voting population of the state.
The BJP government appointed OBC Welfare Commission claimed 48% OBC voting population in the state, while Congress put the figure at 56%. OBC reservations became the biggest political issue and were etched at becoming the most important election issue, larger than bijli, pani, sadak.
Addressing BJP leaders and office-bearers at the state party headquarters here on Wednesday afternoon, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged, “Congress indulges in divisive politics. It was the Congress that went to Supreme Court. They stopped the civic polls when we were preparing for elections. If anyone deprived OBCs of reservation, it was the Congress party. They have nothing to do with the welfare of the people, just vote-bank politics.”
It is true that opposition Congress led by Kamal Nath was aggressive on the OBC reservations issue. Congress’ allegation was that the BJP government was unable to get 27% reservation for OBCs. The increased reservation for OBCs from the existing 14% to 27% was initiated by the erstwhile Kamal Nath government which passed an Ordinance in the cabinet on March 8, 2019. The Congress government went ahead with its delimitation for the civic polls. The Ordinance and delimitation was withdrawn by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in December 2021 making the Congress rush to court.
On May 10, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to issue notification for the panchayat and urban civic body polls and conduct the elections without reservations for OBCs. The panchayat polls have been due for the last three years. It seemed at this point, that the state would have to go for civic polls without OBC reservations.
BJP’s discomfort was palpable as chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cancelled his foreign tour and rushed to New Delhi with senior cabinet ministers Narottam Mishra and Bhupendra Singh to consult solicitor general Tushar Mehta and other legal experts.
Meanwhile, Kamal Nath claimed he would give 27% of party tickets to OBCs to contest the elections even if there is no reservation for the category. State BJP chief Vishnu Dutta Sharma announced to give more than 27% of tickets to OBCs. On May 12, the government filed an application for moderation before the Supreme Court with updated statics on OBC population in every ward and panchayat submitted by the state OBC Welfare Commission.
