The Supreme Court on Monday said that the matter of Madhya Pradesh panchayat elections will be heard along with the Maharashtra reservation case on January 17.
The Apex Court also adjourned Centre’s application seeking recall or modification of Supreme Court‘s order dated December 17 by which it had stayed the election in the seats reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the local body elections in Madhya Pradesh. The court asked the Centre to issue advisory to all the states regarding OBC reservation.
The Bench of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice C.T. Ravikumar said that the matter can be heard on January 17 along with the petitions challenging the Maharashtra Ordinance which introduced 27 percent OBC quota in the local body elections.
Justice Khanwilkar said:
“This will come on January 17, other matters are coming on that day. There’s already an order to list them on January 17. On January 17, all matters will come.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the advisory made regarding the OBC reservation has been sent to all the states.
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During the hearing, the central and state government have requested the court to withdraw its order to repeal the OBC reservation, saying that the committee constituted for the assessment of social backwardness will give its report in 4 months. After which the legal hurdle of OBC reservation will be removed.
On December 17, the Supreme Court stayed the poll process on the seats reserved for OBCs in the panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh and re-notified these seats as general category seats.
The panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh, which were scheduled in three phases during January-February 2022, have been cancelled by the State Election Commission.