Telangana Assembly Clears 42% BC Quota in Local Polls
House endorses 42% quota for BCs in local bodies
Hyderabad: The Assembly on Sunday unanimously approved amendments to two key legislations to remove the existing 50 per cent limit on reservations for all categories, so as to provide 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in panchayat and urban local bodies.
The government said it will meet with Governor Jishnu Dev Sharma to impress upon him the ‘mood of the House’ which was unanimous in seeking to provide 42 per cent reservations to Backward Classes in the local bodies when elections are held soon.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, taking part in the discussion on the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, said the government was committed to implementing the 42 per cent reservation to the BC communities and recalled how the government had previously sent two Bills and an ordinance to the Governor for ensuring the reservations for BCs in local body elections, employment and education sectors. He stated that there was likely influence on the Governor by the opposition which saw him send the Bills and ordinance to the President.
Revanth Reddy said he had written to the Prime Minister five letters seeking an appointment for an all-party delegation to meet him and impress upon him to ensure the Centre took the necessary steps for the state to implement the proposed BC reservations.
“But the Prime Minister,” the Chief Minister said, “did not give us an appointment.” Following this, Revanth Reddy led a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi which was attended by around 100 MPs from different parties, but the BRS was conspicuous by its absence.
During the discussion, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao who said his party was in full support of the move, added that irrespective of the number of discussions and efforts it may not yield results unless the Centre amends the Constitution and adds the provision sought by Telangana government in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.
Former BC welfare minister and BRS MLA Gangula Kamalakar said that his party supported the Bills, and added that mere adoption of the Bills will not withstand legal scrutiny. Telangana should follow the proper method so the efforts do not fail, he said. “I urge the government to follow the Tamil Nadu model where that state managed to have the changes incorporated in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution,” he said.