The recent order by the Allahabad High Court over the backward classes (OBCs) reservation has put the Yogi Adityanath-led government in a tight spot.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Tuesday quashed the government’s notification that instituted reservations for other backward classes (OBCs) in urban local body (ULB) polls and ordered the authorities to hold the elections at the earliest.
The court said that no quota should be given until the “triple test” is completed. Justices DK Upadhya and Saurav Lavania annulled the state government’s December 5 notification that provided reservations in urban body polls for OBCs, apart from those for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have cornered BJP over the reservation issue. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of shedding “crocodile tears” and called it an “anti-reservation party”.
“That is why Dalits and OBCs must come together to defeat this BJP government’s plan. Remove BJP, save reservation,” Yadav said.
SP further accused the ruling party of snatching away the rights of the OBC and BSP chief Mayawati has charged that the court’s order has exposed BJP’s ‘anti-OBC stand’.
BJP in damage control mode
Following the backlash from the opposition, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that his government will immediately set up a commission to finalise OBC reservation. He said that polls will be held only after the quota is instituted.
“The state government will set up a commission on urban body elections and provide reservation to the OBCs on the basis of the triple test,” he had said on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the government appointed a five-member commission on reservation to the OBC in the ULB polls. The panel will be headed by Justice (Retd) Ram Avtar Singh. The four other members are retired Indian Administrative Service officers Chaub Singh Verma and Mahendra Kumar, and former legal advisors to the state Santosh Kumar Viskarma and Brajesh Kumar Soni. The members were appointed following approval from the governor.
