The Supreme Court ordered a few days ago that the process of civic polls for local self-government bodies in the state of Maharashtra should be completed by January 31, 2026. These polls were due over three years ago but got delayed due to various disputes and litigations that followed on the issue of reservation for contestants belonging to certain castes in various constituencies of municipal corporations and district councils, also known as Zilla Parishads.

The apex court has now cleared the path of the civic polls, and this has come at a point when, according to most observers, Maharashtra seems socially and psychologically divided along caste and communal lines like never before! Extreme polarisation among various caste- and religion-based groups can be witnessed on the ground, and w

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