Local body polls: OBC data to be decided on previous record

With the Maharashtra government planning to submit the other backward classes’ (OBCs) data in the Supreme Court (SC), it has asked the state municipal corporations to submit the required data

With the Maharashtra government planning to submit the other backward classes’ (OBCs) data in the Supreme Court (SC), it has asked the state municipal corporations to submit the required data. Both the Pune- and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations have in turn started estimating the number of OBC voters through the existing voters’ list instead of conducting a physical survey.

Both the Pune- and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations have in turn started estimating the number of OBC voters through the existing voters’ list instead of conducting a physical survey. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The case for political reservation for the OBCs is pending with the SC, and the court directing that municipal elections be conducted without OBC reservation created unrest among the OBC community. Now as per the state government’s instructions, the Pune- and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations have started estimating the number of OBC voters through their surnames in the existing voters’ list. In Maharashtra, members of each caste are differentiated by typical surnames and by considering these surnames, the administration is estimating the tentative number of OBC voters from the existing voters’ list.

One of the senior officers on condition of anonymity confirmed, “It is true that the PMC is checking the existing voters’ list and identifying the tentative number of OBC voters. The administration will even try to call some people for cross-verification. Recently, municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar conducted a meeting for the same.”