MP CM discusses OBC reservation issue with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta

Bhopal, Sep 23 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the state government has stepped forward to resolve the contentious matter of 27 per cent reservation for people from the Other Backward Classses (OBCs) in Madhya Pradesh.

"The state government is taking action with full commitment regarding the OBC reservation issue," the Chief Minister wrote on his official social media account X after meeting with Solicitor General Tusar Mehta during his visit to New Delhi late on Monday.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister held a detailed discussion with SG Mehta and presented the government's plan on increasing the reservation quota for OBC candidates from 14 per cent to 27 per cent in state government recruitments.

This meeting was held two days before the Supreme Court is set to conduct day-to-day hearings on a bunch of petitions filed by various stakeholders, including OBC Mahasabha, from Wednesday (September 24).

Earlier, the day-to-day hearing was scheduled to start from September 23 (Tuesday); however, it was rescheduled for September 24.

Earlier, on August 28, Chief Minister Yadav had convened an all-party meeting to resolve the vexed OBC reservation issue through consensus by taking the Opposition leaders into confidence.

This was the first time in the past half-decade that the BJP government in the state has taken the initiative to resolve a contentious issue through consensus with the Opposition political parties, the BJP leader said.

Notably, the row over the 27 per cent reservation for OBC in Madhya Pradesh erupted in March 2019 when the previous Kamal Nath government raised the quota for the OBC from 14 per cent to 27 per cent in the state.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court later stayed the enhanced quota for the OBC, citing the 50 per cent reservation ceiling.

Around 70 related petitions were filed in the high court.

In 2022, the state government introduced the 87:13 formula, under which 13 per cent of posts were not filled till the disposal of cases relating to the matter pending in the court.

The government's move was challenged in the High Court.

On January 28 this year, the High Court rejected petitions challenging the 87:13 formula of the state government.

On February 13 this year, the state government moved the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of the OBC quota issue.

Before 2019, Madhya Pradesh had reservations of 14 per cent for OBC, 20 per cent for ST, and 16 per cent for SC, totalling 50 per cent.

The enhanced OBC quota has raised total reservation to 63 per cent, breaching the 50 per cent quota ceiling.

--IANS

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