With the Supreme Court recently ordering that no State or Union Territory can be permitted to hold local body elections with 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes without empirical data, the Karnataka Government has expressed doubts on holding elections to taluk and zilla panchayats in the near future.
The term of zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats ended in April 2021 and the State Government has appointed administrators for local bodies.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa told reporters in Bengaluru that it is difficult to conduct elections to rural local bodies after the Supreme Court said that no reservation to OBCs can be given without empirical data on the population and representation of OBCs.
The government has made preparations for the conduct of elections to zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats in Karnataka. In October 2021, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department constituted a Delimitation Commission, headed by former IAS officer M Lakshminarayana, to carry out delimitation and reservation for constituencies. Following the Supreme Court order, it was difficult for the commission to carry out its task, he said.
Mr. Eshwarappa said it is difficult for the current government to conduct elections to TPs and ZPs before the end of its tenure. In view of the apex court order, the government would hold discussions with leaders of the opposition as well as legal experts to ensure justice to OBCs in local body elections, the Minister said.
The KarnatakaGramSwarajandPanchayatRaj Act provides reservations for SC, ST and OBCs in rural local bodies.
