MUMBAI: The BJP’s Maharashtra unit on Friday demanded that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government approach the Supreme Court immediately requesting a postponement of the zilla parishad bypolls in five districts.
Former state minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule made the demand while speaking to media persons after submitting a memorandum in this regard to state election commissioner UPS Madan.
“We met Madan requesting a postponement of the scheduled zilla parishad and panchayat samiti polls, as there is a fear of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and OBC reservation has been read down by the Supreme Court.
He refused our demand saying the polls will take place as per schedule because the state election commission (SEC) has been directed to do so, and cited that the elections will take place as per the SC order,” the BJP leader said The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has decided to hold bypolls to five Zilla Parishads and seats of 33 panchayat samitis that were rendered vacant and converted into general category following the Supreme Court’s verdict quashing the OBC reservation in local bodes on July 19.
“In such a situation, we demand that the MVA government immediately file a petition before the Supreme Court and postpone the elections.
There is fear of a third wave due to highly virulent Delta-plus variant of Covid-19.
If the elections are conducted, it will deprive OBCs of their representation, as there is no quota for them,” he said.
The BJP-Shiv Sena government in 2019 had allotted political reservation to OBCs in local governing bodies, but in March this year, the Supreme Court had read it down.
The case was lost only because of the MVA government’s inaction, Bawankule alleged.
The SEC has announced bypolls at Dhule, Nandurbar, Washim, Akol and Nagpur districts, and there are 85 seats of zilla parishad and 144 panchayat samiti seats for which elections is going to be held.
The BJP has planned a state-wide agitation on June 26 against the MVA government’s alleged inaction that resulted in OBCs losing their political quota in local governing bodies.