MP CM Yadav meets Solicitor General to discuss legal strategy on OBC quota verdict

New Delhi/Bhopal, Oct 13 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday met Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and state Advocate General Prashant Singh in New Delhi to discuss the legal implications of the High Court’s verdict striking down the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs and higher education.

The meeting focused on examining the judgment and formulating a strategy for further legal proceedings as the state government prepares to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.

“I held a detailed discussion with India’s Solicitor General, Shri Tushar Mehta, and the State’s Advocate General, Shri Prashant Singh, regarding the legal aspects of the Hon’ble High Court’s verdict on OBC reservation and the strategy for future legal proceedings,” CM Yadav wrote on X.

The meeting comes as the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government prepares to challenge the High Court’s October 9 ruling in the Supreme Court.

The High Court, in its 159-page order (Oct 9), held that the cases before it did not justify increasing OBC reservation in government recruitment and higher education from the existing 14 per cent to 27 per cent.

The enhanced quota was introduced by the then Congress government led by Kamal Nath in 2019, triggering prolonged litigation over its constitutional validity.

The verdict marked a significant development in a seven-year legal dispute involving more than 90 petitions.

The High Court’s order also addressed the uncertainty over recruitment under the disputed 87:13 formula, under which 13 per cent of posts had remained on hold since September 29, 2022.

The court directed recruitment agencies to complete appointments against these posts by filling them with candidates from the unreserved category.

The issue has remained contentious, with the state government and political parties facing demands to clarify their positions on reservation for the OBC community.

The opposition Congress has also announced plans to approach the apex court, setting the stage for a fresh legal battle over the extent of OBC reservation in the state.

On Saturday, state Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Patel had said the government would move the Supreme Court after examining the High Court’s detailed order.

He said the state would present its case firmly and continue its legal fight responsibly. Later, state Congress president Jitu Patwari also announced that his party would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, saying it would fight to protect the interests of the OBC community.

The ruling has reopened a politically sensitive issue in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP and Congress have both sought to position themselves as defenders of OBC interests.

–IANS

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