In a final effort to fulfil its electoral promise of 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections, the Telangana government has filed a 27-page affidavit with the Supreme Court. The affidavit challenges the merit of the President’s reference seeking a review of the court’s landmark verdict on April 8, which mandated that governors and the President must decide on bills pending before them within three months. This move comes as the Telangana Congress attempts to save face with its electorate.
The state government's affidavit, submitted in response to a Supreme Court directive, argues that the President’s reference, made on May 13, lacks judicial merit and should be dismissed. It urges the Supreme Court not to alter its ruling in the State of Tamil Nadu case, which set clear deadlines for officials to act on pending bills.
The agenda for 42 pc BC reservations is on the basis of the Congress party's 2023 Kamareddy Declaration. The Telangana Assembly in March 2025 approved two bills to increase BC reservations in local bodies, education and employment. Both the bills are pending the President's assent. Also pending is an ordinance to modify the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, which limits overall reservations at 50 pc. The ordinance waits for Governor Jishnu Dev Varma's sign-off. The governor has sent the ordinance to the President, citing reservations of going over the 50 pc reservation cap set in the 1992 Indra Sawhney case.
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s Political Affairs Committee recently met in Hyderabad to navigate these challenges. A ministerial committee, led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, consulted with Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The discussions focused on the feasibility of unofficially allocating 42 pc of tickets to BC candidates and how to demonstrate that the Congress has exhausted all legal avenues, thereby shifting blame for the delay to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre.
"We have discussed various aspects of the issue with Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He gave us his suggestions. We will discuss all the options available before us and submit them in the form of a report to the state cabinet, which will take a final call at its meeting on 29 August," Vikramarka told reporters. The urgency is driven by the Telangana High Court's directive to hold the local body elections by September 30.
Also read: Telangana Cong passes BC quota issue to ministers’ committee
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