Telangana Government To Move Supreme Court Over HC Stay On 42 Percent BC Quota In Local Bodies

The Congress-led Telangana government is likely to approach the Supreme Court after the state High Court issued an interim stay on a Government Order (GO) that provides 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies.

In response to the High Court's decision, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy held discussions on Friday with senior cabinet ministers, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, and senior Congress leader and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi to deliberate the legal and political way forward, PTI reported. 

Party sources indicated on Saturday that the state government remains committed to implementing the prescribed quota for BCs and is preparing to challenge the High Court's interim order in the Supreme Court.

The High Court, on October 9, temporarily halted the implementation of the GO that mandates increased BC reservations in local bodies. The Telangana State Election Commission, in turn, suspended the local body poll process, originally scheduled under a September 29 notification, until further notice.

Fulfilling a key electoral promise, the Congress government had issued the GO on September 26, increasing BC reservations in local bodies to 42 percent. This followed the passage of two bills earlier in the year by the state legislature, aimed at raising BC quotas in education, employment, and local governance.

The bills were sent to the Governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.

In a related development, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy led a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 6, demanding early assent from the President. He accused the BJP-led central government of deliberately delaying approval, alleging it was acting in a manner "anti-OBC".

With PTI inputs