The Supreme Court on Tuesday instructed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to announce and conclude local body elections within four months, emphasizing the constitutional necessity of holding timely and regular elections.

A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh underscored the importance of grassroots democracy, stating, “The constitutional mandate of grassroots democracy through periodical elections of the local bodies ought to be respected and ensured.”

The Court directed that the notification for the elections be issued within four weeks. However, it allowed the State Election Commission to request an extension if justified by circumstances.

The directive came in the context of ongoing issues surrounding reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local polls. While the Banthia Commission had recommended a 27% reservation for OBCs, the Court held that the upcoming elections would proceed under the pre-2022 framework, prior to the Commission's recommendations.

This decision follows the Court’s earlier order from August 2022, which had maintained status quo on local body elections, effectively halting the electoral process and leading to administrative control by bureaucrats in the interim.