Bihar civic polls may be held with quotas: HC

Patna: The Patna High Court on Wednesday ruled that civic polls in Bihar may be held, with seats reserved for Extremely Backward Classes, based on the report of a survey conducted by the statutory commission concerned.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Karol passed the judgement on a review petition of the state government against an order dated October 4.

The earlier order had declared the quotas as "illegal" and held that fresh polls be held by "re-notifying" the reserved seats as those belonging to the general category.

The court seemed satisfied with the submissions of the state government. The review petition was, therefore, disposed of, Advocate General Lalit Kishor told over phone.

"We submitted that the state government was willing to fulfill the criteria laid down by the Supreme Court, which the high court had cited while striking down the reservation system," he said.

The Supreme Court ruling says that quotas in elections must be based on the recommendations of an independent commission that may have looked into the political backwardness of a social group, Kishor said.

"We pointed out that an EBC Commission was already in place and that it be treated as the independent commission based on the recommendations of which fresh polls could be held, with seats reserved for EBCs. The court agreed," he added.