Empowered by the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has postponed by-elections in the state’s five districts’ local self-government bodies, which are mired in controversy over the scrapping of the political quota for the other backward class (OBC). The commission had rejected the government’s first request because the SC had given it an order to conduct polls after scrapping the quota. But when the SC empowered it to decide in accordance with the pandemic situation in the state, it put off the programme on Friday evening.

The government was under immense pressure amid street protests to get the quota restored after the Supreme Court set it aside, and asked the SEC to hold by-elections within the deadline prescribed in the order. The polling in 70 segments of the five zilla parishad and 130 constituencies of the 33 panchayat samitis was scheduled on July 19, to be followed by the results next day. The SEC said the by-polls will be scheduled after the pandemic improves and COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. It also lifted the model code of conduct.