BJD Executive Meet Approves 40% Reservation For OBCs in Panchayat & ULB Polls In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD has decided to reserve 40% of seats for OBCs in the forthcoming  elections to three-tier panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies in the state.

A resolution that was passed in this regard at the executive committee meeting of the party here on Saturday has been approved by party president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

The proposal, moved by BJD’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, was discussed in the executive meeting in detail before being approved.

The executive members of the BJD pointed out that since the party has been working for development and empowerment of the other backward classes, the move will enable them to take active role in taking policy decisions and state administration at grasroots level.

It was also revealed that the party has written to the Centre to enact a law for reservation for OBCs in the panchayat and ULB elections after the Supreme Court rejected it. The BJD will accept whatever decision will be taken by the Centre in this regard, they said.