MADHYA PRADESH POLITICAL PARTIES APPROVE RESOLUTION APPROVING 27% QUOTA FOR OBC

The Madhya Pradesh BJP achieved a remarkable success when an all-party meeting passed a unanimous
resolution to offer 27 percent OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh. The meeting, held at the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, was attended by representatives of the governing BJP, Congress, BSP, SP, Aam Aadmi Party, Gondwana Gantantra Party and the CP?.

It may be recalled that during the rule of the Congress government led by Kamal Nath, the state had raised the OBC quota in MP from 14 per cent to 27 per cent through an ordinance.

The execution of the ordnance was, however, stayed by the MP High Court in 2020. The state assembly later passed a Bill providing for 27 per cent quota to OBCs but the High Court stay continued. As many as 65 petitions were filed in the High Court for and against OBC quota hike, which the Supreme Court has now
transferred to itself. The apex court proposes to hear the petitions on a daily basis from Sept 27.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the CM said, “The BJP and Opposition parties had said in
the assembly that they are ready to unanimously provide 27% reservation. The state government on Thursday called a meeting on this issue. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. The apex court has now decided to hold day-to-day hearing of the case.”

A resolution passed at the all party meeting said, “All of us (political parties) unanimously agree that we are committed to providing 27% reservation for OBC members in public appointments in MP. And for this objective we will unite on every forum (including legislature, judicial and executive) and try to implement it.”

The BJP delegation was headed by state party president Hemant Khandelwal and included minister for panchayats and rural development Prahlad Patel, minister of state Krishna Gaur and MP from Satna Ganesh Singh.

A five-member delegation of the Congress was present including MPCC chief Jitu Patwari, LoP Umang Singhar, CWC member Kamleshwar Patel, former Union minister Arun Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Singh. Also, present was former BJP MP and Backward Classes Commission chairman Ramkrishna Kusmaria.

“Now lawyers representing the government and the opposition will sit together and decide on the next move. We all (representatives of all parties) sat together and agreed upon providing reservation. We also passed an all party resolution to implement OBC reservation. All of us want to resolve this issue as soon as
possible and extend its benefits to students,” the CM added.

It was decided at the meeting that lawyers representing the government and Congress should talk it out before September 10. MP, at present, has 20% reservation for Scheduled Tribes, 16% for Scheduled castes, 14% for OBCs and 10% for economically weaker sections – total reservations being 60%.

In 2003, the former Digvijaya Singh govt first promised 27% OBC reservations shortly after BJP announced Uma Bharti as its chief ministerial candidate for the assembly election that year.

However, the BJP formed government in state and remained in power till December 2018 appointing three OBC chief ministers – Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur and then Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Politically, OBCs are important in the state with more than 50% of voters coming from the community.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Umang Singhar said that the consensus reached on OBC reservation is a major victory for the Congress.

“After the continuous demand and struggle of the Congress party, today the BJP government has agreed on the issue of OBC reservation. The Congress government had laid a strong foundation for 27% OBC reservation six years ago,” Singhar said.

While the BJP achieved unanimity on the question of OBC reservation in the state, it (BJP) challenged the
claim of the Congress on the issue of consumption of alcohol by the women in Madhya Pradesh. While
state Congress Chief claimed that women outnumber men as far as consumption of alcohol in the state
is concerned. The BJP challenged the Congress claim and presented official figures to rebut it.

The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) found that only 0.4 per cent of women in the state reported drinking in 2019-21, down from 1.6 per cent in 2015- 16. Male consumption also dropped significantly, from 29.6 per cent to 20.2 per cent over the same period, according to the NFHS-5.

The figures confirmed that the alcohol consumption trend has come down in both males and females in the state. The same was also confirmed by the Central government in Rajya Sabha in February.

On August 25, PCC President Jitu Patwari alleged that women in MP were drinking more than in any other state. His remarks drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, with CM Mohan Yadav accusing him of insulting women. Addressing media persons at his residence, Patwari blamed the BJP government for the prevailing
situation, and sarcastically said, “MP has won a ‘tamga’ (medal) for itself for abusing alcohol leaving behind even states such as Punjab.”

“The BJP has been garnering votes in the name of Ladli Behnas, but could not prevent abuse of alcohol and drugs by the women in the state,” Patwari said. Reacting sharply, CM Yadav next day said, “The Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge should apologise for Patwari’s statement and remove him from his post for insulting women.” inching toward the emerging non-Western axis. Trump’s tariffs on.