Yogi govt moves Supreme Court challenging Allahabad HC order directing UP urban polls without OBC reservation

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging an order by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court which allowed elections to urban local bodies in the state without reservations to Other Backward Classes. On Tuesday, the HC had quashed a draft poll notification issued by the state government in its order on a plea that had alleged that the OBC reservations were granted without the triple test mandated by the Supreme Court.

Soon after the HC’s order, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state government would constitute a panel that would provide reservations to Other Backward Classes citizens. The polls, he said, would be carried out only after the conclusion of the reservation exercise. The state government will move the Supreme Court against the order, if needed, the Chief Minister had said.

Also read: UP urban local body elections to be conducted without OBC reservation, orders Allahabad High Court

“The Uttar Pradesh government will set up a commission for the urban local general body elections to provide reservation to citizens of Other Backward Classes based on the triple test. The urban general body elections will only be concluded after that is done,” CM Adityanath said in a tweet on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the government set up a five-member commission to discuss the OBC reservation issue. Headed by Justice (Retd) Ram Avtar Singh, the panel comprises IAS officers Chaub Singh Verma and Mahendra Kumar, and former legal advisors to the state Santosh Kumar Viskarma and Brajesh Kumar Soni, PTI reported.

Also read: Yogi Adityanath announces Commission to provide OBC reservation, says will move SC if required

On Tuesday, a division bench of Justices DK Upadhyay and Saurav Lavania quashed the draft notification issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on December 5 for the reservation of Other Backward Classes in the urban local body elections.

The High Court’s verdict came on pleas that challenged the preparation of the OBC reservation draft and claimed that it was prepared without following the triple test formula prescribed by the Supreme Court.