In a setback to the Odisha Government, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected its plea challenging the Orissa High Court order on reservation of seats in urban local bodies (ULBs) in the State.
Upholding the High Court’s earlier order, the apex court has made it clear that reservations of seats for the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the State for forthcoming ULB polls cannot exceed 50 per cent.
After it was found that the State Government had flouted the 50 per cent cap in several ULBs during 2012 panchayat polls, 2013 urban civic body polls, and 2017 panchayat polls, the Orissa High Court, while pronouncing the order of a case related to reservation of seats for Nuapada civic body, had also asked the State government not to breach the ceiling.
Election to as many as 93 civic bodies in the State is due and, out of them, 55 have more than 50 per cent reserved seats.
While the term of 66 ULBs, including that of Brahmapur Municipal Corporation will end on September 30, 2018, those of 20 others will end on December 4, 2018.
Similarly, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will be completing its term January 17, 2019, and the terms of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation and Baripada Municipality end February 13, 2019.
In reaction to the SC judgement BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said the State Government does not want to hold the ULB elections. They are sure that they are going to lose.
Similarly, Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said the State Government went to the Supreme against the High Court judgement to delay the election process.
They would have hold the elections at the last movement catching the Opposition unawares. However, Housing and Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari he would be in a position to comment after getting the copy of the judgement.