India, Nov. 25 -- Ahead of a crucial judgement in the Supreme Court dealing with reservations in local bodies, one that could decide whether elections for such bodies scheduled to begin December 2 can go ahead, it emerges that the state's decision to breach the 50% ceiling on reservation, was based on an opinion from the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta.

In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by HT, addressed to Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare and dated June 2, Mehta opined that local body elections in the state can be held where the 27% quota for the Other Backward Classes is maintained even in those constituencies where the 50% reservation ceiling is breached when the OBC reservation is combined wi...