UP Cabinet accepts report on OBC reservation in urban body polls

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Friday accepted the report of a five-member commission set up by it to look into the issue of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in urban local body elections, and said it would be presented before the Supreme Court where the matter is sub-judice. The report was submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday evening.

Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, minister A K Sharma said, “The report of the commission was submitted within three months. It has been accepted by the Cabinet. It will be presented before the Supreme Court where the matter is sub-judice.” The minister, however, declined to share the contents of the report.

The panel was constituted after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had in December end last year quashed the state government’s draft notification on urban local body elections and ordered it to hold the polls without reservation for OBCs. The court had stated that the state government failed to fulfil the “triple test” formality for OBC reservation in local body polls laid down by Supreme Court.