Debangana Ray
Published on July 29, 2022 at 20:48 IST
The Supreme Court stated that elections for 367 local bodies in Maharashtra, notified by the State election commission before the court passed an order for allowing OBC reservation, would be held as per schedule and without the OBC Quota.
The bench warned SEC of contempt of court for rescheduling the polls to grant OBC quota in those local bodies and said proceedings would be initiated against officials concerned for breaching its order.
The SEC, it said, ‘cannot and shall not’ renotify the election programme, voicing displeasure over the ‘misreading’ of its July 20 order.
Last week, the court allowed the state to provide quota on the basis of the report of the State Commission for Backward Classes, which had recommended the reservation.
The court said, “This position has been reiterated on multiple occasions. There is no reason to take a second look. Only liberty that was given to the commission was realign the date in case of certain exigencies. The State election commission and the concerned officials would be responsible for contempt of court in case of breach of the order.”