Maharashtra local body polls can proceed subject to SC decision
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said the Maharashtra state election commission will conduct local body polls as scheduled, but made it clear that results of the bodies where 50% ceiling on OBC quota have been breached will depend on its final verdict. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the observation and referred the case to a three-judge bench, which will take it up in January 2026. The bench hearing pleas alleging that Maharashtras decision to implement a fresh OBC reservation matrix for local body elections based on Banthia Commissions findings exceeded the limit fixed by the SC in earlier cases. The Commission submitted its report in July 2022. The court noted that according to the the state poll body, reservations extended 50% limit in 40 municipal councils and 17 nagar panchayats.