Mysore/Mysuru: “Backward Classes Political Reservation Action Forum will be staging a protest near the Deputy Commissioner’s office tomorrow (May 18) demanding political reservations to the Backward Classes in the forthcoming Local Body elections,” said Forum Chief Convenor K.S. Shivaram. He was addressing a press meet at Pathrakartara Bhavan yesterday.

“Without political reservations in the Lok Sabha and State Assembly, the Backward Classes have suffered a setback and now even in the Local Bodies also there is a threat of reservation being denied to us. Hence, a protest will be staged tomorrow at 11.30 am,” he added.

“The reservations for Backward Classes which was 33% in 1993, has been reduced to 27 percent since 2010. If the State Government doesn’t act to rectify this anomaly, it is possible that reservations are deprived to the community,” he opined.

Urging the State Government not to issue notification of elections to the Local Bodies till the reservations to the Backward Classes is settled, he lamented that had the Government submitted the Backward Classes report to the Court, this situation could have been avoided.

“The Government should immediately convene a special session of the State Legislature, present a proposal to postpone elections to the Local Bodies and send it for Governor’s approval,” he demanded. Former MLC K.C. Puttasiddashetty, Forum Convenors H.S. Prashanth, N.R. Nagesh, D. Nagabhushan and others were present at the press meet.