<h1>Chief Minister urges central govt to increase OBC reservation quota to 42% under new state law</h1> The Chief Minister of a southern Indian state urged the central government to increase the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) to 42 percent, based on a recent state-conducted caste survey. The state government passed legislation to provide this increased reservation in education, employment, and local bodies, but the central government has not yet acted on the bills sent for approval. The Chief Minister sought support from opposition leaders and Members of Parliament to implement the state's model at the national level. The proposal emphasizes that the 2029 national elections will serve as a critical test for expanding OBC reservations. The Chief Minister also challenged the ruling party's opposition to Muslim reservations, asserting that the demand to remove such reservations is politically motivated and inconsistent across states. The state government has previously protested to press for OBC reservation reforms and intends to continue seeking broader political backing.