An organisation born out of opposition to the government's reservation policy in jobs and education has decided to field candidates in all the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, where elections are slated by the year-end.
The outfit, Samanya Pichhada Evam Alpsankhyak Varg Samaj (General, Backward and Minority Welfare Society), better known as SAPAKS Samaj, took this decision at a meeting of its office-bearers here yesterday.
"SAPAKS Samaj has decided to contest all the 230 seats in the year-end assembly polls in the state," Hiralal Trivedi, SAPAKS Samaj patron and a retired IAS officer, told PTI.
The organisation is going to soon approach election authorities and apply for registration as a political party, he said.
The outfit was formed a couple of years back by government officials and employees opposing the reservation policy in jobs and education.
The decision to contest elections was born out of a desire to fight for justice for all sections of the society, he said.
"We are not against reservation, but we feel it should be provided to a family only once so that its benefits are availed by other members of that particular society."
"Our membership, too, is growing rapidly and people are supporting us on the issue. Even people of the reserved categories who have been deprived of the benefits of quota are supporting us," Trivedi claimed.
However, SAPAKS Samaj is against giving reservation in job promotions, he said.
"Initially, the reservation policy was meant to provide quota in education and jobs only to give a level- -playing field to the deprived sections of the society.
"But government has now extended it to various welfare schemes which is unconstitutional," the ex-bureaucrat said.
On one hand, the government is making all efforts to fill vacancies in SC/ST categories, but on the other it is holding up over 89,000 posts meant for general and OBC categories for want of financial approval, Trivedi said.
This is not fair on part of the government, he added.
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