Chhattisgarh government hikes OBC quota for local bodies’ election-OxBig News Network

Chhattisgah Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Chhattisgarh on Monday (October 28, 2024) announced an increase in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local body elections in the State. 

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, and is based on the recommendations of the State Backward Classes Welfare Commission, ensuring reservation in proportion to the OBC community’s population, the government said in a statement. 

According to a government spokesperson, previously, the reservation limit was set at 25%, which has now been raised to a maximum of 50%. This new provision will also apply to State-level reserved positions, including district panchayat Chairpersons, municipal corporation Mayors, and municipality Chairpersons.

The move is based on the recommendations of the State Backward Classes Welfare Commission, ensuring reservation in proportion to the OBC community’s population. 

Most local bodies will complete their tenure in December and elections are generally held during this month, although there is yet to be any formal announcement regarding the dates of the polls. It’s widely understood that data on the OBC population in the State is critical to the conduct of election with reservation. 

Not in tribal areas 

The State government’s statement clarified that in bodies where the total reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) was 50% or more, OBC reservation would not apply. “However, where the total SC and ST reservation is below 50%, OBCs will receive up to 50% reservation, provided it does not exceed the OBC population ratio in that body,” the government said. 

While there is no definitive data available on the OBC population in Chhattisgarh, as in the rest of India, OBCs are dominant in areas beyond the tribal zones of Sarguja and Bastar. 

The number game

The previous Congress government led by Bhupesh Baghel had set up a Quantifiable Data Commission but never made its findings public. After a local media report published in 2022 said that the OBC population in the State stood at 41% according to the purported findings of the Commission, there was no official confirmation or denial. Some caste groups, however, had questioned the methodology used by the Commission to reach that number, which questioned the long-standing claim that OBCs exceeded 50% of the State’s population.  

The previous government had increased the reservation quota for OBCs from 14% to 27% in jobs and admissions to government institutes of the State, but the quota amendment Bills are yet to receive the assent of the Governor. 

Mr. Sai termed the latest decision “a historic step towards ensuring social harmony and justice in the State”. “Our goal is to provide equal opportunities to every section of society. This decision will increase representation for the OBC community and bring their contribution into the mainstream of development,” the CM said.

The Opposition Congress welcomed the move, saying it had always advocated representation according to the share in population, but blamed the BJP for stalling the quota amendment Bills passed by the Assembly during its tenure.