BHUBANESWAR: A day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan targeted the Odisha government for its lack of interest in reservation for the OBCs, the ruling BJD announced that reservation of seats by the party for backward classes may touch 50 per cent (pc).
Responding to Pradhan’s attack on the State government, party secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das said that BJD is committed to 40 pc reservation for OBCs in panchayat polls and this may even increase to 50 pc.
“We will publicly publish list of these OBC candidates who have been provided reservation in BJD tickets. I appeal to you to do the same for BJP,” he added. He questioned the Union Minister about his contribution to Madhya Pradesh (MP). “You were elected to Rajya Sabha from MP. For how many years was your party in power there? Why did you fail to ensure OBC reservation in MP? More so now, with Supreme Court striking down MP’s OBC reservation policy for polls,” he added.
Asking Pradhan to introspect on the Centre’s commitment for the welfare of the OBCs, Das said that the BJP is scared of panchayat polls in MP. “But we want to hold the panchayat polls in Odisha,” he added.
The BJD leader requested Pradhan to fight together for ensuring that the OBCs get right reservation in polls. “I am sure you will extend your hand of cooperation for empowerment of OBCs,” he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Pradhan had alleged that going by the developments, the State government seems to be anti-OBC. Though the State government’s petition in the Supreme Court for more than 50 pc reservation is pending for long, it is a matter of concern that no steps have been taken to deal with the situation, he said.
The Union Minister asked why the State government is not approaching the Supreme Court in this regard like the MP government.
Meanwhile, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra said that a special session of the Assembly should be convened to deliberate on the issue and find a way out.