Governor Jishnu Dev Varma holds 2 BC quota Bills
During the Assembly session held on August 31, the Congress government had introduced four bills seeking amendments to the 2018 panchayat raj and municipalities Acts.
Hyderabad:Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Thursday withheld assent to two crucial Bills to amend the panchayat raj and municipalities Acts and lift the 50-per cent cap on reservations to facilitate the 42 per cent quota for the Backward Classes communities in local bodies, even as he cleared two other bills related to merger of certain gram panchayats into municipalities.
There was confusion earlier in the day after the issuance of a communiqué stating that the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Telangana Municipalities (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 had received the Governor’s approval.
The confusion arose since since these were the same names given to Bills relating to 42 per cent quota.
The state government quickly issued a clarification stating that the Governor had given assent only to the Bills concerning merger of gram panchayats in Sangareddy, Khammam and other areas, while the bills on the cap on reservations continued to remain pending.
During the Assembly session held on August 31, the Congress government had introduced four bills seeking amendments to the 2018 panchayat raj and municipalities Acts.
Two of these were aimed at removing the 50 per cent ceiling on overall reservations in local bodies, a restriction introduced by the previous BRS regime to conform with Supreme Court guidelines. Because of this cap, BCs secured 23 per cent quota in the 2019 local body polls. To correct this, the Congress government introduced amendments to do away with the ceiling and enable implementation of 42 per cent BC quota in both panchayats and municipalities.
Alongside, two other Bills were passed to facilitate the merger of certain gram panchayats into nearby municipalities to streamline administration. All four Bills were subsequently forwarded to Raj Bhavan for assent. The Governor has since approved the merger-related bills while leaving the reservation bills undecided.
The state government is keen to conduct local body elections only after securing enhanced reservations for BCs. However, the process is caught in uncertainty as the High Court has set September 30 as the deadline to complete polls. With the crucial Bills still awaiting Governor's clearance, the government is preparing to approach the High Court seeking an extension, citing pendency of the Bills at Raj Bhavan as the reason for delay.
The Congress leadership has repeatedly asserted its commitment to provide 42 per cent quota for BCs in local bodies and is unwilling to proceed with polls under the existing framework. The pending decision at Raj Bhavan has therefore assumed political significance as it holds the key to the timing and conduct of local body elections.