Rahul Gandhi flags OBC quota delay in MP, writes to CM Mohan Yadav
Synopsis
Rahul Gandhi has personally written to Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav over a stalemate that has left OBC candidates waiting for government appointments since 2022 — stuck in the 87:13 legal limbo created after the state's 27% OBC quota was challenged in court. With thousands of qualified candidates in limbo and the issue surfacing at his own public programme in Indore, Gandhi is now putting the pressure directly on the BJP government.
Key Takeaways
Rahul Gandhi wrote to MP CM Mohan Yadav on 22 September 2026 , flagging the delay in OBC quota appointments.
Candidates selected in recruitment exams have been waiting for appointments since 2022 due to the 87:13 formula .
Under the formula, 13 per cent of posts linked to the contested 27 per cent OBC quota are held in abeyance pending court orders.
The 27 per cent OBC reservation was introduced by the Congress government under Kamal Nath in 2019 , pushing total reservations beyond the 50 per cent ceiling.
Gandhi cited his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' interaction in Indore as the immediate trigger for the letter.
Congress has repeatedly raised the matter, framing stalled appointments as a failure of the BJP-led state government.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, flagging the prolonged delay in appointments under the state's 27 per cent OBC reservation and urging the government to resolve the stalemate without further delay. The letter, dated 22 September 2026, comes after Gandhi's direct interaction with affected candidates during the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore.
What Gandhi Wrote
In his letter, Gandhi said candidates who had cleared various state recruitment examinations have been waiting for their appointments since 2022. He specifically flagged the 87:13 formula adopted by the Madhya Pradesh government, under which 13 per cent of posts linked to the disputed OBC quota are held back pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
'These youth have passed the examination and completed the entire process, yet under the 87:13 system, 13 per cent posts related to OBC reservation have been kept on hold and candidates selected for these posts have been waiting for appointment from 2022 till today,' Gandhi wrote in his letter.
He noted that the impasse has prompted repeated protests by qualified candidates demanding the implementation of the quota and the filling of posts they had already been selected for.
Background: The 87:13 Formula and Its Origins
The 27 per cent OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh was introduced in 2019 during the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, pushing the state's overall reservation level beyond the 50 per cent ceiling that courts have generally upheld. The enhancement was subsequently challenged before the courts on constitutional grounds.
In response to the legal challenge, the state government adopted the 87:13 arrangement: appointments proceed against 87 per cent of advertised posts, while the remaining 13 per cent — corresponding to the contested OBC quota — are kept in abeyance until the litigation is settled. Candidates who qualified in examinations for those withheld posts have been in limbo ever since.
The 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' Trigger
Gandhi said the issue came to his attention prominently during his interaction with students at the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore, where concerns around education, employment, and career uncertainty were raised. 'During the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore, many students of Madhya Pradesh raised several serious issues related to education, employment and their future. Among these, the issue of stalled appointments under OBC reservation also came up prominently,' he wrote.
Political Context and What Comes Next
The Indian National Congress (INC) has repeatedly raised the matter of the stalled OBC appointments, framing it as a failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government to protect the interests of Other Backward Classes. The timing of Gandhi's letter — ahead of anticipated local-body cycles and amid a broader national conversation on reservation policy — adds a sharp political dimension to what is also a genuine administrative and legal issue.
Notably, the BJP has its own stakes in OBC consolidation, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav himself belonging to an OBC community. How his government responds to the letter — and whether it can accelerate a legal resolution — will be closely watched by the several thousand candidates whose appointments currently remain suspended.
Point of View
Neatly turning the legal ambiguity into an accountability issue for the ruling party. What the letter sidesteps is that the judicial challenge to the quota — which is what created the 87:13 stalemate — stemmed partly from its own government pushing reservations beyond the 50 per cent ceiling without adequate constitutional cover. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, an OBC leader himself, faces a genuine dilemma: moving faster on appointments could invite contempt proceedings if courts ultimately strike down the quota, yet inaction hands the Congress a ready election narrative. The real losers are the candidates, who cleared examinations in good faith and now wait in administrative limbo years later.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are OBC appointments delayed in Madhya Pradesh?
Appointments for 13 per cent of posts are on hold because the state's 27 per cent OBC reservation was challenged in court. Under the 87:13 formula adopted by the government, recruitments proceed for 87 per cent of posts while the remaining 13 per cent await a judicial verdict.
What is the 87:13 formula in Madhya Pradesh?
The 87:13 formula is an arrangement under which Madhya Pradesh fills 87 per cent of advertised government posts while keeping the remaining 13 per cent — corresponding to the disputed OBC quota — vacant until the courts decide on the constitutional validity of the 27 per cent reservation.
When was the 27 per cent OBC reservation introduced in MP?
The 27 per cent OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh was introduced in 2019 by the then Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led Congress government. The enhancement pushed the state's total reservation above the 50 per cent ceiling, triggering a legal challenge.
What did Rahul Gandhi demand from MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav?
Gandhi urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to personally intervene and ensure an early resolution of the stalled appointments. He asked the government to take steps to fill the withheld posts and end the uncertainty for candidates who have already qualified.
How long have affected candidates been waiting?
According to Gandhi's letter, candidates who cleared relevant recruitment examinations have been waiting for their appointments since 2022 — over four years — without receiving postings to the posts they qualified for.
