The Supreme Court gave the Karnataka government until March 31, 2023 to submit the commission’s report on the issue of political reservations and reservations for OBCs in local bodies. The state government was required by the order to submit a report on the OBCs’ political reticence in local body elections before the deadline.
The state will then be required to notify the ward reservations of the upcoming elections. After hearing from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who claimed that the exercise as ordered by the high court is already under way, a bench of Justices SA Nazeer and Hima Kohli granted the state government more time, they announced their decision.
‘We are seeking an extension till 31st of March to submit the report of the commission which is constituted as per the decision of the High Court to collect empirical data and decide the question of political reservation and reservation for OBCs in local bodies. The Commission’s work is currently underway,’ Mehta told the bench.
Justice Nazeer questioned Mehta in the hearing, ‘Why do you need so much time? A committee is already there. See OBCs have to be represented, the recent EWS judgment also has the same logic.’
The counsel for respondents opposed the requested extension of time, stating to the bench that even if it were granted, the exercise that the Commission is currently working on would take an enormous amount of time.
Justice Nazeer said, ‘Our aim is that if elections are held like this, the OBCs will not get anything. Let the report come. Let them have a final time’
The State Election Commission had been ordered by the Karnataka High Court to quickly hold elections for the BBMP, Bengaluru’s municipal corporation. The decision was made while a number of petitions asking for instructions on how to hold the BBMP elections on time were being heard.
The state appealed the same order to the highest court.
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