The paragraph talks about the upcoming urban local body elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The elections are being seen as the semi-final before the big poll battle in 2024. The elections will be held in two phases on May 4 and May 11, and the counting of votes will be done on May 13.

There are a total of 17 municipal corporations, 199 municipal councils, and 439 nagar panchayats that will elect their new representatives. The number of urban bodies has gone up by 107 this time, from 653 to 760.

The first phase of the elections will see Lucknow city and eight other divisions voting on May 4, while the second phase will see nine other divisions voting on May 11.

The urban body polls in the state were due earlier this year, but the Allahabad High Court had nixed the caste reservation list issued by the government on the pretext that the triple test formula for fixing the OBC quota was not followed.

The government moved the apex court against this order which asked it to set up a dedicated commission to decide the OBC quota. On March 27, the Supreme Court paved the way for holding the urban local body polls as it allowed the State Election Commission to issue a notification in this regard in two days with an OBC quota in terms of a report of the Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission.