Odisha BJP hints at legal action if State denies quota to OBCs

The BJP has urged the SEC to ensure due representation of OBCs, SCs and STs in three-tier panchayat bodies before announcing dates for the polls.
Representational Image
Representational Image

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday cast aspersions on the State Election Commission, questioning its integrity to hold the ensuing panchayat election in an impartial manner.

Accusing the SEC of playing into the hands of the BJD government, Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Legislative Assembly Mohan Majhi said the all-party meeting convened by the commission was nothing but a farce.

Describing the current SEC as a toothless body, Majhi who led a BJP team to the meeting said the commission did not pay any heed to the demands and suggestions of the Opposition parties. The commission being an independent organisation should act as a referee. Instead it is only imposing the decisions of the State government on the Opposition which is not fair, he said.

Demanding due representation to the vast majority of the OBC population of the State in the local bodies elections, Majhi said some legal impediments have been created deliberately to deny them their Constitutional rights. Submitting a 15-point charter of demands to the SEC, the BJP hinted that the party may take recourse to legal action if the 54 per cent OBC population was denied 27 per cent reservation which is provided by the Constitution.

Majhi further said that the State government has not followed the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution while publishing the final reservation list for scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes(STs). In 23 districts, reservation for SCs and STs is not proportionate to their population which may create legal problems, he added.

The BJP has urged the SEC to ensure due representation of OBCs, SCs and STs in three-tier panchayat bodies before announcing dates for the polls. The saffron party has also raised the issue of government dilly-dallying over distribution of final voters list to political parties and asked the SEC to direct the district administrations to share the list without delay.

“We also urged the SEC to provide the names and mobile numbers of all the election officials from zone to district-level,” he said.

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