Telangana High Court: Stay on BC Quota Hike to Continue

Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Tuesday extended the interim stay on GOs 9, 41 and 42, all issued on September 26, 2025, which had enhanced Backward Class (BC) reservations to 42 per cent in the local panchayat elections. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin extended the order as the Telangana Government had not filed its counter affidavit explaining its stand in the batch of writ petitions which were filed challenging the said GOs.

While dealing with the batch of petitions, the Telangana High Court on 9 Oct 2025, prima facie viewed that the State has failed to adhere to the criteria of 50 per cent upper ceiling as laid down by the Supreme Court in providing reservations by issuance of GO Ms No.s 9 and had issued interim stay orders on the GO 9. Further, the High Court had directed the state government represented by the Chief Secretary , the Principal Secretaries of Panchayat Raj, General Administration, BC Welfare, and Law and Legislative Affairs Departments, to file a counter affidavit within four weeks from that day and thereafter two weeks’ time was given to the petitioners to file the rejoinder to the state counter affidavit.

However, the state government and none of the respondents has filed the counter affidavit in the said petitions and on Wednesday sought more time to file the counter affidavit.

The court allowed four more weeks to file counters and two weeks thereafter, the petitioners have to file rejoinder, if they want. The court adjourned further hearing to January 29, 2026.