At the core of Monday’s agenda is the long-pending issue of local body elections, which have been delayed in different tiers for nearly two years.
Hyderabad:The State Cabinet meeting at 3 pm on Monday, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, carries considerable political significance in the wake of the Telangana High Court’s directive to the government to announce the schedule for local body elections by November 24. The timing of the meeting has also drawn attention as it comes soon after the Congress secured a resounding victory in the Jubilee Hills bypoll, a development that is expected to embolden the government to roll out key decisions aimed at various sectors.
At the core of Monday’s agenda is the long-pending issue of local body elections, which have been delayed in different tiers for nearly two years. Gram panchayat polls have been overdue by around 22 months, elections to zilla parishads and mandal parishads by nearly 15 months, and municipal elections by close to 10 months.
Against this backdrop, Monday’s Cabinet meeting is likely to take a pragmatic turn, with the government expected to consider conducting local body elections in December using the old reservation matrix that allocates 25 per cent to BCs against proposed 42 per cent within the overall 50 per cent cap for the BC, SC and STs communities mandated by the courts. This move is anticipated to end the prolonged uncertainty over local body polls.
The Cabinet is also expected to clear the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill 2025 and approve the Rythu Bharosa assistance for the ongoing rabi season.
The Congress government, which assumed office in December 2023, had deferred the polls to pursue its commitment to implementing 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies, a promise that required a strong legal framework.
To provide statutory backing for the enhanced BC quota, the government conducted a caste census in December 2024 and appointed a one-man Dedicated BC Commission. Based on the census findings and the Commission’s recommendations, the government passed legislation in March 2025 proposing 42 per cent BC reservations in all local bodies. These bills were forwarded to Governor , who in turn referred them to President Droupadi Murmu. The proposals, however, have been awaiting presidential assent ever since.
Undeterred, the government made another attempt in July 2025, issuing an Ordinance to amend the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, to lift the 50 per cent overall cap on reservations for BCs, SCs and STs put together to facilitate 42% BC quota. The Ordinance was sent to the Governor for approval, but it remained pending. In August 2025, the government passed a fresh bill to replace the Ordinance, again seeking to remove the 50 per cent ceiling. This too awaited gubernatorial approval without progress.
A further attempt came on September 29, 2025, when the government issued GO 9 to implement the 42 per cent BC quota directly. Acting on the GO, the Telangana State Election Commission announced the local body election schedule on September 30. However, the High Court stayed GO 9 on October 8, bringing the election process to a halt. Although the state approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order, the apex court declined to intervene and directed the government to approach the High Court again, leading to additional delays.
