PNS | DEHRADUN
The Bharatiya Janata Party has defended the provisional reservation announced for aurbal Local Body (ULB) elections in Uttarakhand, calling it lawful while also accusing the Congress of spreading disinformation due to fear of electoral defeat. Addressing the media here on Sunday, senior BJP leader and Dharampur MLA Vinod Chamoli criticised Congress for its contradictory stance.
He stated that the reservation policy has been implemented in line with predetermined guidelines to ensure representation for all communities. Highlighting Congress’ inconsistency, he stated, “The same Congress that was accusing the BJP of delaying the ULB elections is now seeking excuses to postpone them, fearing defeat.” He further took a dig at Congress State president Karan Mahara, calling his statements a reflection of ignorance. Chamoli clarified that reservation percentages such as nine per cent for Scheduled Caste (SC) in municipal corporations and varying allocations for other groups—are fixed and cannot be altered arbitrarily.
According to him, based on Supreme Court guidelines, Other Backward Classes (OBC) have been allocated 18 per cent representation in municipal corporations, 27.9 per cent in municipalities and 34.8 per cent in Nagar Panchayats. Also, Scheduled Tribes (ST) are given one seat each in municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, while women get 33 per cent reservation across all levels. Detailing the allotment, he said that two of 11 municipal corporation seats are reserved for OBC women, while 14 women will lead municipalities and 16 women will head Nagar Panchayats.
Chamoli said that the Vidhan Sabha select committee thoroughly reviewed the 2011 census data before finalising OBC reservations. He dismissed Congress’ claims about procedural lapses, reiterating that the committee’s recommendations had already cleared the way for elections. He urged Congress leaders to refrain from misleading the public and instead focus on preparing for the elections.
