BJP, Cong to give 27% tickets to OBCs after SC rejects quota in MP local polls
BHOPAL: A day after the Supreme Court directed the Madhya Pradesh state election commission to conduct local body polls without reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and opposition Congress on Wednesday decided to give 27% tickets to OBC candidates in local body polls. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed the state election commission (SEC) to notify local body polls in Madhya Pradesh within two weeks without the OBC quota. BJP state president, VD Sharma, said, “The state government formed a commission and collected data following triple test but we respect the judgement of the apex court. The BJP, which made at least three chief miners from OBC community, will give the community proper representation in all the elections. We will give 27% tickets to OBC candidates and if required, we will give more tickets to the community members.” State Congress president, Kamal Nath, said, “We don’t have any hope with the BJP-led state government. In the past two years, the state government did nothing to ensure reservation for OBCs, that’s why we have decided to reserve 27% tickets for OBC candidates in local body elections.” However, MP OBC Welfare Commission member Bhupendra Singh said the state government followed the triple test and presented detailed information about the economic, social and political conditions of OBC communities in a 600- page report. “We recommended 35% reservation for OBC candidates. Now, we will file a review petition in the Supreme Court,” Singh said. After the Supreme Court decision, chief miner Shivraj Singh Chouhan, home miner Narottam Mishra and Bhupendra Singh were summoned to New Delhi the BJP central leadership on Wednesday evening. They will meet BJP national president JP Nadda. Earlier on Wednesday, chief miner Chouhan, who was going on a foreign tour on May 14 to visit USA and London, cancelled his tour citing the apex court order. “I am cancelling my foreign visit so that OBCs can get reservation in local bodies,” the CM said.
