News Analysis India

Tag: civic polls

  • UP CM Yogi Adityanath hails SC nod to conduct civic polls with OBC reservation

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of India giving its nod, on Monday, to conduct urban civic polls in Uttar Pradesh with OBC reservation. The Supreme Court also ordered the State Election Commission to issue election notification within two days.

    Significantly, the Supreme Court passed the order while perusing the report of the Backward Commission submitted by Yogi government on March 15. The court while hearing the UP government’s plea accepted the commission’s report and asked the state government to go ahead with the civic polls.

    The state government had constituted the five-member commission in compliance of apex court order to recommend the quota provisions for OBCs in UP Urban Civic Polls. The Backward Commission visited 75 districts to conduct the survey to ascertain the status of various OBC in urban civic areas. It submitted the report to the UP government on March 9.

    Reacting to the SC order, CM Yogi said that the government was committed to OBC reservation and took all measures towards making provisions for OBC quota in Urbana civic bodies within the time frame given by the Supreme Court.  He said that following the rules of reservation in a lawful manner, the Uttar Pradesh government was committed to conduct urban body elections in a time-bound manner.

    It may be recalled that a petition was filed in Allahabad High Court challenging the provision of OBC reservation made by the state government ahead of the urban civic bodies elections. While hearing the matter, the High Court had directed the state government to hold the Urban civic body elections immediately without OBC reservation as it was not in accordance to the ‘triple test’ norm of OBCreservation in civic bodies set by the apex court.

    Consequently, the UP government challenged the High Court order in SC while claiming that it would not conduct the polls without reservation to OBCs.  Meanwhile, the state government constituted the five member OBC commission headed by a retired judge.

    On the other, the apex court, while hearing the UP government’s plea on March 27, directed the commission constituted to file its report by March 31, staying the High Court order to hold immediate elections without quota.

    LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of India giving its nod, on Monday, to conduct urban civic polls in Uttar Pradesh with OBC reservation. The Supreme Court also ordered the State Election Commission to issue election notification within two days.

    Significantly, the Supreme Court passed the order while perusing the report of the Backward Commission submitted by Yogi government on March 15. The court while hearing the UP government’s plea accepted the commission’s report and asked the state government to go ahead with the civic polls.

    The state government had constituted the five-member commission in compliance of apex court order to recommend the quota provisions for OBCs in UP Urban Civic Polls. The Backward Commission visited 75 districts to conduct the survey to ascertain the status of various OBC in urban civic areas. It submitted the report to the UP government on March 9.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Reacting to the SC order, CM Yogi said that the government was committed to OBC reservation and took all measures towards making provisions for OBC quota in Urbana civic bodies within the time frame given by the Supreme Court.  He said that following the rules of reservation in a lawful manner, the Uttar Pradesh government was committed to conduct urban body elections in a time-bound manner.

    It may be recalled that a petition was filed in Allahabad High Court challenging the provision of OBC reservation made by the state government ahead of the urban civic bodies elections. While hearing the matter, the High Court had directed the state government to hold the Urban civic body elections immediately without OBC reservation as it was not in accordance to the ‘triple test’ norm of OBC
    reservation in civic bodies set by the apex court.

    Consequently, the UP government challenged the High Court order in SC while claiming that it would not conduct the polls without reservation to OBCs.  Meanwhile, the state government constituted the five member OBC commission headed by a retired judge.

    On the other, the apex court, while hearing the UP government’s plea on March 27, directed the commission constituted to file its report by March 31, staying the High Court order to hold immediate elections without quota.

  • Why wait for alliance when you are used to fighting alone: Sanjay Raut on civic polls

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said his party should be prepared to contest civic polls, due early next year in around 10 Maharashtra cities, on its own and they are in favour of an alliance if it materialises with respect, but there will be no compromise on the party’s saffron flag.

    Addressing party workers at Bhosari in Pimpri-Chinchwad town of neighbouring Pune, Raut said there is resentment among the Sena cadre in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad that the NCP, which is strong in the two cities, is “neglecting” the Uddhav Thackeray-led party despite being its alliance partner in the state government.

    Referring to Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray’s current visit to New Delhi, Raut in a lighter vein said he was there to take stock of the “Delhi way of functioning”.

    Noting that there was resentment among the Shiv Sena workers in Pune and Pimpri-Chichwad over the NCP “neglecting” their party ahead of the civic polls due next year, the Rajya Sabha member said, “Don’t upset us, otherwise there will be a problem. (NCP leader) Ajit Pawar, who is Pune’s gaurdian minister, also listens to the chief minister. So, local NCP leaders should also accommodate the Shiv Sena.”

    He said it was upsetting that the Shiv Sena had not been able to unfurl its saffron flag at the civic bodies of the two cities.

    “We are used to fighting alone. Why wait for an alliance? Let us plan to contest all seats. If an alliance materialises with respect and dignity, its okay. There will be no compromise over our saffron flag,” the Sena leader said.

    Raut further said come what may, “we have to have our own mayor in Pimpri-Chinchwad”.

    “If we can get the chief minister’s post with 56 MLAs, we can get the mayor’s post with 40 to 50 corporators,” the Sena’s chief spokesperson said.

    After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Shiv Sena parted ways with long-term ally BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post and forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress to form government.