EC halts sub-quota for Minorities in 5 States

NEW DELHI ( THE HINDU) :The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) shall not be given effect to the office memorandum dated December 22, 2011, providing a 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities within the 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in the Central government jobs and educational institutions, in the five poll bound States. The direction will be applicable till the completion of the election process in the five States.

The Commission also took into account the fact that the decision was taken and announced by the Centre on December 22, before the coming into force of the model code of conduct , i.e., December 24 when the poll schedule was announced. The EC said it had been brought its notice that the order had been issued in violation of the model code of conduct and there was also a plea to stop the order. The Commission's latest directive would be applicable to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, where Assembly polls are to be held during January-March. The EC took the decision to ensure a free and fair poll and provide equal opportunities to all the political parties and candidates.

Sources in the Election Commission referred to the sections in the model code relating to political parties, candidates and the State/Central governments which stated:

Para 1(3) : There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes.

Para VII: The Party in power whether at the Centre or in the State or States concerned, shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign
Para VII (vi) : From the time elections are announced by the Commission, Ministries and other authorities shall not announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof......, which may have the effect of influencing the voters in favour of the party in power.

Many political parties, particularly the BJP, had strongly opposed the decision of the union cabinet, and said the announcement was made to induce Muslims, who are in sizable numbers in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. The decision will benefit Muslims more than other minorities as there are many Muslim communities designated as OBCs, they said.

Even some Muslim organisations felt that the cabinet decision would betray their interests. Earlier the various OBC Muslim communities listed for 27 percent OBC quota managed to get 2.3 per cent. Now the OBC Muslims would have to compete with Christians, Sikhs and Parsi OBCs for 4.5 percent quota. In other words all these minority communities representation would be restricted to 4.5 percent and the remaining 22.5 percent quota would be for Hindu OBCs, they claimed.

( Source - The Hindu)