The Rajasthan government on Wednesday, 16 September defended its OBC reservation framework for local body and Panchayat elections before the Rajasthan High Court, asserting that the quota was determined on the basis of the OBC Commission's report, which drew on a door-to-door survey and analysis of data including the Jan Aadhaar database. The state maintained that all reservations for SC, ST, and OBC categories have been kept within the 50 per cent ceiling prescribed by the Supreme Court.

Background to the Dispute

The controversy centres on the reservation of Zila Pramukh posts across the state's Zila Parishads. A lottery held on 13 August reserved five of the 41 Zila Pramukh posts for OBC candidates — three for general OBC and two for OBC women. The districts reserved for OBC candidates were Jalore, Bundi, and Khairthal-Tijara, while Beawar and Sikar were reserved for OBC women.

Of the 41 total posts, eight were reserved for SCs, seven for STs, and five for OBCs — together accounting for 20 posts, or approximately 48.78 per cent, keeping the combined reservation just below the constitutional ceiling.

The Petitioner's Challenge

Petitioner Radheram Godara moved the High Court arguing that when the state had 33 Zila Pramukh posts, five were already reserved for OBCs. Following district reorganisation that raised the total to 41, Godara contended that the number of OBC-reserved posts should have increased proportionately — but it did not. His counsel, Anand Sharma, also questioned why OBC reservation was fixed at 16 per cent rather than 21 per cent, noting that 18 per cent had been provided in 2020. Sharma further pointed out that the OBC Commission's report has not been made public, raising transparency concerns.

Separately, the Commission reportedly recommended 192 OBC-reserved seats out of 1,403 Zila Parishad ward seats — amounting to 13.68 per cent — for Zila Parishad member positions.

State Government's Position

The state government countered that the reservation quota was allocated through a lottery process based on the Commission's recommendations, and that the existing reservation structure leaves no room to increase the OBC quota beyond the prescribed limit without breaching the 50 per cent ceiling. Officials emphasised that the Commission conducted a rigorous door-to-door survey and examined available data before arriving at its recommendations. The reservation lottery process for other Panchayati Raj posts — including Pradhan, Panchayat Samiti members, Sarpanch, and Panch — has been postponed pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.

Political Dimension

The Indian National Congress has seized on the issue, alleging that OBC reservation figures were reduced arbitrarily. The party has constituted an 'Aarakshan Bachao Prakoshth' (Save Reservation Cell) to campaign on the matter. The ruling state government, however, maintains that the quota was determined transparently through the Commission's process and is legally compliant.

What Happens Next

The petitioner's side has filed a rejoinder to the state government's response, and the matter is expected to come up for hearing before the Rajasthan High Court next week. The court's ruling will have direct implications for the reservation structure across Panchayati Raj institutions in the state, and could set a precedent for how OBC quota calculations are handled following district reorganisation elsewhere in India.