‘Hold polls to ZP and TP on basis of existing data on backward classes’

Mahadevappa’s appeal to State Government

Former Minister H.C. Mahadevappa on Saturday urged the State Government to hold the long-delayed elections to Zilla and Taluk Panchayats on the basis of existing reports and recommendations that determine backwardness and proportion of reservation to backward classes in the State.

Reacting to Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa’s statement that elections to the local bodies were unlikely to be held before the Assembly elections next year in view of the recent Supreme Court direction on the need for “triple test” criteria to justify political reservation to Other Backward Classes, Mr. Mahadevappa said several reports and recommendations had already been submitted by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission that determine the backwardness and proportion of reservation for backward classes in the State.