'Constitutional dilemma' on OBC quota in ZP polls: Bawankule

Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said a "constitutional dilemma" has emerged due to ongoing Supreme Court proceedings on the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota in local bodies.

Bawankule was responding to a question on whether Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections, dates for which have not been announced yet, could be pushed ahead.

"A constitutional dilemma has been created and we need to find a solution to it. I think the hearing is scheduled on November 25. I do not know what decision the State Election Commission will take after the Supreme Court decision. The matter has reached a critical stage," he said on Sunday.

The apex court is set to hear the case related to quota for OBCs in civic and rural bodies on Tuesday.

"The Supreme Court itself has asked the state to complete all local governing body polls before January 31 next year," Bawankule pointed out.

Petitioners have argued that in several local governing bodies, reservations cross the 50 per cent ceiling if OBCs are given a 27 per cent quota. This 50 per cent ceiling, upheld in several verdicts, restricts governments from breaching the mark unless exceptional circumstances are shown.

This has placed the state in a constitutional and political dilemma, sources said.

If the government reduces the OBC quota to stay within the 50 per cent cap, it risks a strong political backlash from OBC communities, that are an important electoral force in rural Maharashtra, they added.

Political parties believe that curbing OBC representation will carry electoral costs, the sources asserted.

The court's upcoming hearing is expected to clarify whether the ZP polls will proceed as scheduled or will require a fresh timeline, they said. PTI ND BNM GK