BBMP elections: Supreme Court extends time granted to State of Karnataka for finalising women, OBC reservation

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended till March 31, 2023, the time allowed to the State of Karnataka to finalise political reservations for women and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies. .A bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and Hima Kohli extended the timeline ordered by the Karnataka High Court on the request of Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta. "Time given till March 31, 2023 to the State of Karnataka to finalise political reservations in local bodies", the bench ordered. .On the SG's initial request for an extension, the Court asked why the State needed so much time. Mehta stated that the period would be used to collect empirical data and form a committee. .The Karnataka High Court had in September directed the State government to complete the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on or before December 31, 2022 and redo the process for reservation for women and OBCs..The High Court had also quashed government order dated August 16, 2022 which provided reservation to 243 wards of BBMP under women and OBC categories."The impugned final notification dated 16.8.2022 bearing No.UDD 102 BBS 2022, Bengaluru, issued by the Under Secretary, Urban Development Department (BBMP-2) is hereby quashed," the High Court had held..The State government had constituted the Dr Justice K Bhaktavatsala Commission of enquiry for reservation to OBCs in local bodies across the State of Karnataka which in its report suggested for one third reservation.Thereafter, the State government had carried out the exercise of ward reservation on the basis of the report submitted by the Commission and issued a notification notifying the ward-wise reservation for 243 wards of BBMP out of which, 81 wards were reserved for backward classes and 120 for women randomly.Taking exception to the same, a writ petition was moved before High Court..The High Court, while deciding that plea, had observed that the Commission was required to find out which of the communities were backward in the local bodies across State of Karnataka on the basis of empirical data and, thereafter, opine on providing reservation of 33 per cent of total seats in favour of OBCs including the minorities in local bodies.The Court went on to allow the petition and directed the State to cooperate with the Commission in furnishing the empirical data so as to formulate a report and submit the same to State government for publication of final notification.To carry out this process, the State was granted time till the end of the year. This prompted the State to move the apex court with the present appeal. .[Read our live-coverage of the hearing below].[Read order]