Telangana CM Revanth Reddy held key discussions with senior leaders ahead of the High Court hearing on the 42% BC reservation case. The government faces scrutiny over exceeding the 50% quota cap.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy convened an urgent meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, State Congress president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, and AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan on Tuesday to review the state’s position in the ongoing legal challenge to the 42% Backward Classes (BC) reservation in local bodies.

The meeting primarily focused on finalising the government’s legal arguments ahead of the High Court hearing scheduled for October 8. According to official sources, ministers and senior party leaders discussed strategies to justify the enhanced BC quota while balancing constitutional limits.

The Telangana High Court had earlier deferred the hearing on petitions questioning the state’s recent Government Order (GO), which expanded BC reservations to 42% in local bodies — a move that petitioners claim violates the Supreme Court’s 50% cap on total reservations. The petitioners have urged the court to quash the GO issued on September 26.

Notably, the court had also instructed the government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to complete Gram Panchayat elections by September 30, a timeline that now hangs in uncertainty pending the legal outcome.

Analysis:
The case carries significant political weight for the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government, which had promised enhanced representation for backward communities before the 2023 polls. However, legal experts warn that exceeding the reservation ceiling could face judicial hurdles. For citizens, the verdict will likely shape not just the structure of local governance but also the pace of long-pending panchayat elections.