Revanth Holds High-Level Meeting on HC Hearing

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday met ministers, senior party leaders from the BC community, and top officials from the law department to review the proceedings of the Telangana High Court and deliberate on the strategy for the next hearing on the enhanced reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies.

Senior advocates briefed the Chief Minister on the arguments presented by different parties in the High Court and the observations made by the bench during the hearing.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that the petitioners had not opposed the enhancement of reservations for BCs but had questioned the government’s decision to issue GO 9 through executive action instead of obtaining approvals from the Centre. They clarified that the core of the legal challenge centred on procedural aspects, not on the intent to expand BC representation.

Revanth Reddy, who remained at his residence throughout the day, closely monitored minute-to-minute developments in the court proceedings through ministers and officials.

The Chief Minister is said to have expressed satisfaction over the High Court’s decision not to stay the local body election process, even as it adjourned further hearing to Thursday. He viewed this as a positive step that would allow the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) to proceed with its schedule for conducting the MPTC and ZPTC polls.

As the High Court would resume the hearing on Thursday at 2.15 pm, Revanth Reddy directed senior advocates to present comprehensive arguments explaining the rationale behind issuing GO 9.

He instructed them to highlight the government’s adherence to a scientific approach, including the conduct of a caste survey, collection of empirical data, and the constitution of a dedicated BC Commission, which examined the extent of political underrepresentation among BCs and recommended the 42 per cent quota in local bodies.

He also reportedly appreciated the collective efforts of ministers, party leaders, and the government’s legal team for presenting strong arguments before the Telangana High Court.

Revanth Reddy said that the issuance of the first-phase election notification and the commencement of the nomination process from Thursday would mark a major milestone in conducting the elections as planned.

He expressed confidence that the High Court would deliver a favourable verdict, enabling the elections to proceed smoothly.