Maharashtra Local Body Elections May Face More Delays as Supreme Court Defers OBC Quota Hearing to May 6

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The Supreme Court postponed the OBC reservation hearing to May 6, potentially delaying Maharashtra’s local body elections

Nagpur: On 4th March, The much-awaited local body elections in Maharashtra could be delayed further as the Supreme Court (SC) has postponed the next hearing on the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation issue to May 6.

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A division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and NK Sinha briefly heard the case during the morning session on Tuesday. During the hearing, the petitioners informed the court that the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has already granted 27% political reservation for OBCs as per the Supreme Court’s directive.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Maharashtra government, confirmed that the OBC reservation issue had been resolved. He also assured the court of the government’s firm stance, stating, “the government remains committed to maintaining the 27% quota.“

ALSO READ: [RESERVATION SYSTEM] “Meritorious SC/ST, OBC, EWS Candidates Entitled to be Considered in Horizontal Quota”: Supreme Court

However, the petitioners urged the court to instruct the SEC to conduct elections under the previous ward structure without any more delays.

Background

The issue started in 2021 when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government passed an ordinance granting 27% OBC reservation in local body elections. However, on December 6, 2021, the Supreme Court put a stay on the ordinance, stating that it did not fulfill the necessary legal conditions, known as the “triple-test” procedure, which is required to justify reservations.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained that the state government has made significant legal amendments since the previous Supreme Court order. He emphasized that fresh legal proceedings should now take place under this revised legal framework.

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Despite hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity on which petitions specifically challenge the OBC reservation.

Due to this prolonged legal battle, several major municipal corporations—including Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Nashik—have been functioning under state-appointed administrators since 2022. This has raised concerns over governance and civic administration in these key cities.

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