Oppn may use ‘OBC bill’ to seek 50% quota cap removal

Oppn may use ‘OBC bill’ to seek 50% quota cap removal

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 09.08.2021 

The opposition may use the 127th constitutional amendment bill in Parliament, intended to restore power of states to maintain “state list” of OBCs, to demand that the government make a provision to remove the 50% cap on reservations.

While the removal of 50% cap on quota is an old demand of OBC outfits, there is an indication that even Congress may join the bandwagon as part of the 127 th amendment bill. The convergence of views emerged as part of a discussion held between Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Congress and NCP leaders on Sunday night. The bill seeks to undo the May 5 Supreme Court judgement, which was delivered in the Maratha quota issue where the quota provision was rejected because of the 50% cap that it breached.

The Modi government is set to introduce the 127th amendment bill in Lok Sabha on Monday and it will come up for discussion in the two Houses during the week.

As the opposition is demanding that a discussion on Pegasus be held before any other agenda, a meeting of floor leaders of opposition parties called by leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will take a final call on whether to join the debate on OBC bill and make a break in the blockade of Parliament. There is a view in the opposition that they can join the debate as it’s their issue, while pushing for their agenda of 50%, thereby holding the blockade temporarily.

The demand for 50% cap waiver is an issue the BJP government will have to negotiate. The discussion between Maharashtra parties and Congress showed “that there was little benefit in restoring the power of states to identify state list of OBCs if the cap on reservation stayed”. It was said that 27 states have pending issues of reservation hampered by the 50% ceiling.

While the opposition parties, which comprises many regional outfits, are for the bill, it is also seen as a government ploy to break the blockade over Pegasus.

While the removal of the 50% cap on quota is an old demand of OBC outfits, there is an indication that even Congress may join the bandwagon