Pimpri: The Supreme Court has rejected the interim report of the Backward Classes Commission on OBC reservation. Therefore, if the next municipal elections are held without OBC reservation, then elections will be held in open category for 114 seats of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. 38 people have been denied the opportunity to fight in the Backward Classes (OBC) category. The biggest blow to the rejection of OBC reservation has come to the Mali and Kunbi community as 35 people were elected from the OBC category in the last election. Most of them are BJP corporators.
There will be 46 wards and 139 corporators in the upcoming general election of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Of the 139 corporators, 69 will be men and 70 women. Out of 139 corporators, 3 seats will be reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 22 seats for Scheduled Castes (SC). Had OBC reservation been available, 38 seats would have been reserved for OBCs. However, the Supreme Court has rejected the reservation report of the OBC community. As a result, 38 people have lost their chance to fight in the OBC category. Hence the open category seats are now 114.
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In 2017 35 seats were reserved for OBC
In the 2017 general election of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, 35 seats were reserved for OBCs. In this, Sweenal Mhetre, Ashwini Jadhav, Nitin Kalje, Sarika Landge, Santosh Londhe, Namrata Londhe, Keshav Gholwe, Yogita Nagargoje, Uttam Kendale, Namdev Dhake, Sandeep Waghere, Tushar Kamthe, Savita Khule, Shashikant Kadam, Asha Dhaygude, BJP’s side have Madhavi Rajapure, Sharda Sonawane, Suvarna Burde, Hiranani Ghule, Sagar Gawli, Suresh Bhoir, Jayshree Gawade, Shatrughan Kate, Late Archana Barne, Nationalist Congress Party’s Rahul Bhosale, Raju Misal, Pragya Khanolkar, Aparna Doke, Sham Lande, Vinod Nadhe, Praveen Bhalekar, Poornima Sonawane, late Javed Sheikh, Rekha Darshale of Shiv Sena and independent Jhamabai Barne were included.
Many existing corporators may come face to face
In the last election, maximum number of Mali and Kunbi community corporators were elected from OBC quota. Since the OBC reservation has been canceled this time, all these corporators are left with no option but to contest from the open category. Kunbi and Mali communities predominate in some parts of the city. So he is unlikely to face any problem in contesting from open category but he will have to work harder to get elected. However, those selected from other categories may have difficulty. It is almost impossible for them to overtake local arithmetic, kinship and wealth. Therefore, the impact of OBC reservation will be felt the most by the Kunbi, Mali community. Due to non-availability of OBC reservation, 114 seats will be contested from open category. In such a situation, many existing corporators can come face to face. Earlier relatives were prevented from coming face to face. One was fighting in the open category and the other in the OBC category. That’s why it was not coming face to face. Now that there is no OBC reservation, many incumbent corporators may come face to face in the elections.