In New Delhi on 28 November, the Supreme Court stopped the Maharashtra State Election Commission from announcing reservations that exceed 50 percent for upcoming local body elections.
The decision allowed polls that had already been announced to go ahead as scheduled, while a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that any local bodies where the reservation quota surpasses the 50 percent limit will have their results dependent on the pending petitions that challenge the OBC reservation in Maharashtra.
“The elections of municipal councils and nagar panchayats may take place as per the notified schedule. However, the results of local bodies where reservation exceeds 50 percent will be subject to the result of the writ petition,” the bench said.
The court directed the SEC to announce elections for zila parishads, municipal corporations, and panchayat samitis, adding that for all other bodies the state government and the SEC can proceed with elections, but the total reservation must stay below 50 percent. This cap, too, remains subject to the final outcome of the ongoing proceedings.
The matter was sent to a three‑judge panel and is slated for a hearing on 21 January.
After senior advocate Vikas Singh urged the bench to keep the elections moving, the court said: “In Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, wherever reservation does not exceed 50 percent, let the elections be held in terms of the previous directions.”
Balbir Singh, representing the SEC, informed the bench that elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats are already set for 2 December, while 57 local bodies exceed the 50 percent reservation threshold.
Earlier in the year, during a May hearing, the Supreme Court had ordered that all local body elections be finished within four months, re‑instating the OBC reservation in line with the pre‑2022 J.K. Banthia Commission framework. The elections would still hinge on the outcome of petitions contesting the Banthia recommendations.
In a subsequent September 16 hearing, the apex court rebuked state officials for not meeting its earlier deadline of August, and again demanded that all local body polls be held by 31 January 2026. The court also required the delimitation work to be finished by 31 October, stating that any delay in that process would not justify postponing the elections.
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