Buldhana, Nov 25 (NationPress) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Tuesday that the current local body elections in the state will proceed without any disruptions.

"Elections for 246 nagar parishads and 42 nagar panchayats are presently underway. The entire process is nearing completion. Voting is scheduled for December 2 and counting will occur on December 3. The Supreme Court is expected to approve the government's request to conduct these polls smoothly," he stated.

His comments came in response to the Supreme Court's decision to postpone the hearing on November 28, raising concerns regarding the timing of the forthcoming elections and seat reservations.

In light of ongoing legal discussions concerning the implementation of the 50 percent reservation cap and OBC seat allocations, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the state government's readiness to collaborate.

CM Fadnavis expressed optimism, saying that the Supreme Court's remarks during Tuesday's hearing were favorable regarding OBC reservations.

"The Supreme Court indicated that a larger bench needs to reassess the previous judgment. I am hopeful that the elections will proceed without issues. However, the ultimate decision lies with the Supreme Court, so further comments would be inappropriate," he remarked.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the state government has consistently advocated for elections to be conducted with OBC reservations.

"The decision regarding reservations was made by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, but in many civic polling bodies, the reservation limits were reached. Subsequently, the government petitioned the court, resulting in the OBC reservation being established. Then, the government argued for comprehensive reservation. Following this, the court's observations led to the current elections being conducted. Some individuals later approached the court with a contempt petition, highlighting a breach of the earlier apex court ruling. Consequently, the ongoing petition is under review," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister rejected allegations from the Opposition regarding the state government's motivations as "unfounded", asserting that the BJP is committed to democracy and the electoral process. The recent unopposed election outcomes reflect public confidence in the BJP's leadership and development initiatives.

CM Fadnavis urged all stakeholders to respect the electoral process and assured that the state government would act in accordance with the Supreme Court's final directives.

Earlier, during the hearings last week and on Tuesday, the petitioner argued that the 40 percent reservation limit has been exceeded in 159 local bodies, including 17 Zilla Parishads, 83 Panchayat Samitis, 2 Municipal Corporations, and 57 nagar parishads and panchayats.

This increase in reservation, particularly in tribal-majority districts where the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota is already elevated, has raised concerns.

The exceeding of the 50 percent threshold is attributed to the cumulative quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), STs, and the blanket 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in certain regions, which is currently under challenge in the Supreme Court.