BJD to reserve 40% tickets for OBCs in rural, civic body polls

Bhubaneswar: Days after the Supreme Court passed an order disallowing reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) for local bodies across the country, ruling BJD in Odisha took a decision to reserve 40% of its tickets for the backward class category. The state executive meeting of BJD today decided to reserve the party tickets during panchayat and civic body polls.

The party’s Organisational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das moved a proposal for the reservation for OBC candidates during the state executive meeting. After a consensus emerged on the proposal, it was sent to the party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for approval.

As Patnaik approved the proposal, 40% of BJD tickets will be reserved for OBC candidates during forthcoming panchayat polls and civic body polls, the party said in a statement.

Also, the party requested the Central Government to take legal and constitutional steps for the reservation for OBC candidates.

In 2019, BJD allotted one-third of party tickets for women for both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

The apex court has disallowed reservation for backward class categories during rural polls and civic body polls this month.

It is worth to mentioned that the state government had removed reservation of seats for the OBC community from the panchayat and urban polls following the Supreme Court’s direction.

Meanwhile, Opposition BJP and Congress have termed the decision an eyewash to woo the OBC voters.

OBC wing president of the BJP, Suratha Biswal said, “Though there was no reservation, about 50 OBC MLAs are there in the present Assembly. So, without playing politics over the issue, will the BJD government file a review petition in the Supreme Court?”

Similarly, Gyana Beura, OBC cell chairman of Odisha Congress, said the ruling party has taken this step for its political gain. During the last panchayat polls, the BJD had nominated about 60 per cent OBC candidates. So there is no meaning of saying they will give 40 per cent reservation to the OBC for the upcoming polls, he said.

(with agency inputs)

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