“Within the OBCs, politically backward and socially backward classes should be identified for the purpose of reservations,” he said.Justice Kant said when one follows the principle of inclusivity, states were bound to identify more classes.”There will be social backward class, politically backwards class, and economically backward classes. Why should they be deprived of the benefit? Why should it be confined to one particular family or group?” he added.The top court issued notice on the plea and sought the state government’s response while tagging the matter with the pending ones.In the meantime, in another matter over OBC reservation in Maharashtra local bodies the bench ordered the state election commission to notify the polls in four weeks which are to be held in line with the period before the 2022 Banthia Commission report.The bench ordered the state panel to conclude the elections in four months and granted liberty to the state election commission (SEC) to seek more time in appropriate cases.The outcome of Maharashtra local body elections would be subject to decisions in pending petitions before apex court, it added.On August 22, 2022, the top court directed the SEC and the Maharashtra government to maintain the status quo with regard to the poll process to the local bodies in the state.
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