The political fate of 57 local civic bodies in Maharashtra now rests with the Supreme Court, which is set to deliver a crucial verdict on January 21. The outcome will determine the validity of recent election results in these councils and nagar panchayats, where the combined reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) exceeded the 50% constitutional limit.
Court Puts Results on Hold
Acting on multiple petitions that challenged this breach of the quota ceiling, the apex court had earlier issued an order on November 29. It stated that the elections to these 57 specific local bodies would be subject to its final judgment. An official from the State Election Commission (SEC) clarified the situation on Monday, noting, "While the results were declared, those will depend on the final order." This means the declared victories are provisional until the court rules.
Political Wins in Limbo
The court's pending decision has left both major political alliances in a state of uncertainty over their wins. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has 39 of its victories under scrutiny, which includes 30 for the BJP, five for the Shiv Sena, and four for the NCP. Despite holding a decisive lead, the alliance must wait for judicial clarity.
A senior BJP politician acknowledged the situation, stating, "The mandate clearly favours Mahayuti, but we will respect the Supreme Court's decision."
On the other side, the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has 17 wins hanging in the balance. This breaks down to 11 for the Congress, two for the Shiv Sena (UBT), and four for the NCP (SP). A Congress member expressed concern, saying, "Nearly two-fifths of our victories are under scrutiny. These reflect people's mandate at the grassroots, and we hope the court ensures stability and does not unsettle elected bodies."
Scale of the Impact
The 57 bodies in question are part of a larger group of 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats where the total reservation crossed the 50% mark. For the Mahayuti, the 39 affected bodies represent nearly 18.8% of its total tally of wins. The impact is more pronounced for the MVA, where the 17 bodies constitute about 38.6% of its victories.
Geographically, the issue is concentrated in several districts. Of the 40 affected municipal councils, the highest number—eight—are in Nagpur district. This is followed by seven in Chandrapur and five in Nashik district.
The Supreme Court's ruling will not only decide the political control of these 57 local bodies but will also have a direct impact on the results for individual councillor posts within them. All stakeholders now await the January 21 verdict, which will bring much-needed finality to the grassroots electoral process.
