By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August, 2021: In a political masterstroke, the ruling Biju Janata Dal President and Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik Friday announced to field candidates from Other Backward Castes (OBC) for 27 per cent of seats in the forthcoming three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha.

The BJD now demands other political parties in the state to emulate it by giving proportionate party tickets to OBCs. The BJD has been demanding 27 per cent of reservation for the OBCs in education, jobs and also in elections for a long time.

Incidentally, the ruling party’s move came barely three days after a delegation of the BJD MPs met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his Parliament chamber and submitted a memorandum seeking a legislation to raise quota for OBCs in the state. The move has come as a surprise for rival political parties and would work to Patnaik’s advantage in the forthcoming polls.

The state government is constrained to reserve seats for OBCs in education and jobs due to the 50 percent reservation ceiling by the court.
Patnaik has decided to start the quota from within the party itself.

The Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2008 has provision for reservation of posts and services for OBCs. However, the quota has not been implemented as the Census is as yet not on the basis of Caste, making it difficult for the government to arrive at an accurate percentage of OBC population in the state.

BJD has also demands 33 per cent reservation of seats for the women in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Though there is no such provision for women quota in elections, the BJD in 2019 Lok Sabha elections fielded 33 per cent women candidates.