UP Forms New OBC Panel Ahead of Panchayat Polls

Lucknow, May 21, 2026 With Uttar Pradesh preparing for its next round of Panchayat elections, the state government has taken a significant step by setting up a dedicated commission to determine OBC reservation in rural local body polls. The move highlights the administration’s focus on ensuring that the reservation process remains legally compliant and politically balanced before the elections are announced. Retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Ram Autar Singh has been appointed as the chairman of the newly formed Backward Classes Commission. The panel also includes retired additional district judges Brajesh Kumar and Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma, along with former IAS officers Arvind Kumar Chaurasia and S.P. Singh as members. The commission has been given a six-month term to complete its work. The commission will collect and examine data related to the population and political representation of Other Backward Classes in line with the Supreme Court’s “triple test” requirement. Based on its findings, the panel will recommend how OBC reservation should be implemented in Panchayat elections while ensuring that the total reservation cap remains within 50 percent. The previous Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh were held in 2021, and the current bodies are set to complete their tenure in May 2026. Once the commission submits its report, the state government is expected to finalize the reservation structure and election roadmap for the upcoming rural polls.