Bhopal, May 19 (PTI) Even as the Supreme Court has permitted reservation for the Other Backward Classes in the local bodies elections in Madhya Pradesh, an organisation representing the community on Thursday said it was firm on its call for the May 21 'state bandh' to press for its demand for 27 per cent quota to the OBCs.

Also Read | Prof. Nilofar Khan Appointed as the New Vice-Chancellor of Kashmir University – Latest Tweet by ANI.

Meanwhile, the Congress supported the call for bandh given by the OBC organisation - Pichhada Vargh Mahasabha.

Also Read | Assam Shocker: Headmistress Sent to Jail for Bringing Cooked Beef to School in Goalpara.

The development came a day after the country's top court allowed reservation for the OBCs in the local bodies elections in the state with a ceiling of total 50 per cent in it.

Talking to PTI, Mahasabha's state working president Rakesh Singh Lodhi said, "We are at a loss. The apex court order is not in our favour. We will get just 14 per cent reservation. But the quota should be provided as per the population of OBCs in the state - which is 48 per cent. Therefore, we are going ahead with our bandh call."

Days before the apex court passed the order, Lodhi had last Friday talked about the Mahasabha's call for the state bandh on May 21 to demand reservation for the OBCs in the local bodies polls.

Extending support to the Mahasabha's bandh call, the Congress said in a two-line statement, "The OBC Mahasabha has given a call for the entire MP bandh on May 21 for reservation. Congress party fully supports it."

State Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said the party is of the view that the OBCs should get 27 per cent reservation in local body polls and not 14 per cent.

"Giving only 14 per cent reservation to the OBCs is injustice to the community. That is why we are supporting the Mahasabha's bandh call," he said.

After the top court allowed reservation to the OBCs in the local bodies polls, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had hailed the order saying it was a "historic day" for the state, and claimed that his government took all possible measures to ensure quota for the community.

The opposition Congress also hailed the top court's ruling, but pointed out that it has capped the upper limit of reservation to 50 per cent, due to which the community will not be able to enjoy 27 per cent quota.

"We welcome the Supreme Court's decision of granting relief on the issue of OBC reservation. But the full benefit of raising the OBC reservation from 14 per cent to 27 per cent, given by the (previous) Congress government, will not reach the OBC community as the SC decision also capped the limit to 50 per cent," state Congress chief Kamal Nath had said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)