Odisha: Ruling BJD to give 40pc tickets to OBC candidates in upcoming local elections

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 26 : Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal has decided to give at least 40 per cent tickets to OBC candidates in the upcoming Panchayat and Urban local body election in Odisha.
"The decision has been taken in party's state executive meeting through a resolution, which was moved by the Party organisational secretary, Pranab Prakash Das and passed unanimously," said a statement from Biju Janata Dal on Saturday.
"BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accorded consent to the proposal, ensuring 40 per cent candidates of OBC in forthcoming Panchayat and ULB elections, which was passed unanimously by members of the state executive committee," the statement added.
Notably, the state government has removed the reservation of seats for the OBC from the Panchayat Panchayat and Urban polls following the Supreme Court's Directives.
"The Members of BJD state executive committee terms the decision a historic step towards the fulfilment of political aspirations of people belonging to the backward classes," the statement further read.
"BJD has requested the central government to take steps to ensure the reservation for OBC category in local body elections and whatever measures are being taken by the union government, BJD and the state government will accept it," it said.
The statement also said that BJD is the first Political Party in the country, which has given one-third of its party tickets to women candidates during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.