UP OBC reservation row: The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, stayed the Allahabad High Court's order on the matter of providing reservations to the Other Backward Class (OBC) in urban local body polls. This comes after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government had moved to the apex court on December 29.
According to reports, the state government had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the top court, opposing the Allahabad High Court's order. Earlier on December 27, Allahabad High Court had directed the state administration to hold the elections for urban local bodies without making any accommodations for the OBC reservation.
What CJI said on the matter?
Hearing the matter, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said the state government will be at liberty to issue delegation and financial powers to ensure that the administration of local bodies is not hampered.
Meanwhile, the Solicitor General told the top court that though the tenure of the newly appointed commission is six months, an effort would be made to ensure that the process of completing the exercise would be done expeditiously before 31 March 2023. The apex court also said that no major policy decision shall be taken by the administrator.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath hails top court's decision
Meanwhile, CM Adityanath took to Twitter to welcome the decision of the Supreme Court,
"Uttar Pradesh government will cooperate in conducting the local body elections while implementing OBC reservation within the time limit given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court," he tweeted in Hindi.
UP govt formed a 5-member commission
Following the High Court's verdict, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asserted that elections to urban local bodies would not be held without reservation for OBCs. The state government also appointed a five-member commission for providing reservations to OBC in urban local body elections.
Justice (Retd) Ram Avtar Singh will head the panel, which will also include two 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.
According to reports, the appointment of the commission was done following the approval of the governor. The Urban Development department released a notice, stating the panel's tenure would be for a six-month period from the day of taking charge.
The commission was constituted a day after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court directed the state administration to hold the elections for urban local bodies without making any accommodations for the OBC reservation.
(With inputs from agencies)
ALSO READ: Despite court setback, Yogi Adityanath firm on OBC reservation: Here's what UP CM said
