Maharashtra parties seek stay on local polls
The Hindu
State Govt. to file review plea in apex court on election embargo in OBC seats
A day after the Maharashtra State Election Commission stayed polls on seats reserved for the OBCs in the local body election, parties have demanded to stay the entire poll process to avoid any injustice to the OBCs.
The State Government will also be filing a review petition in the apex court terming the order as contradictory, it was announced.
“State Government’s Ordinance was based on the law currently being implemented across nine States in the country where 27% reservation for OBCs is being extended under the limit of 50%. The court order does not mention anything about it. We have decided that we will approach the apex court with a review petition as the order is contradictory,” said State Minister Nawab Malik, after a Cabinet meeting.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists