Telangana Government Puts Onus On Governor To Clear BC Quota Bills
Ponnam Prabhakar to lead all-party delegation to meet Governor on BC Bill
Hyderabad: The government will lead an all-party delegation to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Monday, urging him to grant speedy approval for the two Amendment Bills passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Sunday to lift the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations in rural and urban local bodies.
The Amendments are aimed at enabling the implementation of a 42 per cent quota for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections. BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar will head the delegation and has invited all floor leaders in the Assembly to join.
Prabhakar personally met BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and former minister T. Harish Rao in the Assembly, handing them a letter written to Leader of Opposition K. Chandrashekar Rao, requesting his participation. He said it was crucial to reflect the collective sentiment of the House before the Governor, as all parties supported the enhanced quota for BCs.
He stated that the government was committed to implementing the BC quota and exploring all possibilities to ensure its enforcement. Referring to the 2012 Supreme Court judgment on reservation limits, he said the verdict allowed states to proceed if there was unanimity among political parties. “We will explain to the Governor that elections to local bodies fall under the purview of the states, and the House has expressed unanimous consent to extend 42 per cent reservations,” he said.
Prabhakar pointed out that the government had sought appointments with President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi but had not been granted time. In this context, he said, the Governor’s role becomes vital in ensuring timely approval. The minister stressed that the government was acting with sincerity, fully aware of the legal framework, and determined to secure justice for BCs.
He appealed to BC intellectuals and community leaders to support the effort, assuring that the government would hold elections before September 30 with the revised quota in place. “Our commitment is clear — we will go to the polls with 42 per cent reservations for BCs,” he said.
