When will the elections of local bodies including BMC be held?
maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the local body elections will be held in March-April 2025 if the supreme court gives its decision on OBC reservation in the first week of January. He said that the issue of OBC reservation is listed in the supreme court in the first week of January. BMC elections are pending since 2022. maharashtra Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "The State election commission will conduct the elections and the state government will give full cooperation." The term of other local bodies including BMC has ended in 2022. In december 2021, the supreme court had ruled that reservation for OBCs in local bodies will not be allowed until the government fulfills the triple test prescribed in the 2010 order of the apex court.
Why is the triple test needed?
The court had also said that till the standard of the triple test is not met, the OBC seat will be re-notified as a general category seat. The government needs to conduct a triple test to form a commission to collect data on the backwardness of OBCs from all local bodies. It also has to be ensured that the reservation limit on any reserved seat does not exceed 50 percent.
Bawankule said this about the Waqf Bill
BJP State President Bawankule said that many such complaints are being received that maharashtra In maharashtra, the Waqf Board is forcibly taking over private charitable trusts and educational institutions. Once the Waqf Amendment Bill is passed, it will be implemented in Maharashtra. If there is any kind of error, it will be rectified. Chandrashekhar Bawankul said that under the survey of Villages population and Mapping with Improved technology in village Areas (SVAMITVA), a survey of villages was started in 2021 so that farmers could get e-property cards for ownership rights on their land. E-property cards of 15,327 villages out of 30,515 are ready and will be distributed soon.