New Delhi: The Rajasthan high court today struck down the 50 per cent reservation given to women candidates and youths in state municipal polls, calling it as unconstitutional.

Chief justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice MN Bhandari in a landmark judgement held that the 50 per cent reservation to women candidates and those in the age group of 21 to 35 oncertain earmarked seats is unconstitutional.

The order has came as a big blow to the state government as it failed to apprise the court that the reservation of the women is based on the proportionate population of theirs.

Further, it failed to apprise as to how the state was justified in fixing certain number of seats in the municipal elections of the state for the young candidates belonging to the age group of 21 to 35.

This final pronouncement came on a bunch of writ petitions challenging the reservation, as provided by way of amendment in the Rajasthan Municipality Act, claiming that the reservation of women has been raised from one-third to one-half of the total seats meant for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and even for open category.

The decision, though, will not have any bearing on the recently-concluded municipal elections in the state.