Uttar Pradesh passes ordinance to amend urban body poll rules for OBC reservation

Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday approved an ordinance to amend the rules of Uttar Pradesh Nagar Nigam and Nagar Palika in light of recommendations of Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission for urban local bodies polls.

The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath passed the proposal of the Urban Development department in this regard, Minister AK Sharma told reporters.

The Supreme Court had on Monday paved the way for holding of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh as it allowed the State Election Commission to issue a notification in two days on OBC quota considering the report of the Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission.

According to Sharma, a notification for the local body elections was issued on December 5, 2022, but several petitions were filed in court against the move.

The court had earlier directed the government to form a commission to oversee the process of identifying the backwardness criteria for reservation.

A five-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Ram Avatar Singh was formed on December 28, a day after the Allahabad High Court ordered that the urban body polls be conducted without OBC quota.

The commission had submitted its report to the Chief Minister on March 9 and it was accepted by the cabinet on March 10.