Supreme Court may refer MP OBC reservation case to HC:SC observes High Court better understands state-specific circumstances; major verdict likely tomorrow

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday postponed the hearing on the 27% OBC reservation case in Madhya Pradesh. A major verdict in the case could be announced as early as Thursday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, MP Advocate General Prashant Singh, Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, and Special Counsel Advocate Shashank Ratnu appeared on behalf of the state government. Solicitor General highlights technical complications At the start of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the case and noted that several technical issues require detailed consideration. He suggested exploring alternate methods to resolve the matter efficiently. The Court responded that repeatedly seeking more time could complicate matters further, especially with the upcoming Diwali holidays. Supreme Court may grant interim relief The bench noted that, similar to the interim relief granted in Chhattisgarh, temporary benefits might be considered for Madhya Pradesh OBCs. Petitioners raised objections, but the Court stated it would examine appropriate solutions in tomorrow’s hearing. Case could be referred back to High Court The Supreme Court indicated that it could either provide interim relief or directly refer the matter to the High Court, as the latter is better positioned to understand the state’s demographics and circumstances. “This is a state-specific reservation issue. While the Indira Sawhney judgment is relevant, the High Court has a better understanding of the local population and context,” the bench said. Petitioners raise concerns over repeated time requests Varun Thakur, counsel for the OBC Mahasabha, told the Court that the MP government repeatedly requested adjournments. The bench expressed concern that repeated delays hinder resolution and emphasized that the matter could be decided at the High Court level. The Supreme Court acknowledged that the High Court is better suited to handle the case given the state-specific demographic and population considerations. The hearing has been adjourned and will resume tomorrow.