Hyderabad: The Supreme Court declined to entertain a challenge to the Telangana BC reservation, and pointed to the ongoing High Court proceedings on similar issues. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta asked the petitioner why he bypassed the forum already considering the matter. Counsel said the High Court had refused interim protection. The bench queried whether every refusal of stay should trigger an approach to the apex court and then dismissed the petition.
Telangana BC reservation: GO 9’s 42% quota anchors five-phase elections
The state’s framework flows from GO No. 9, issued September 26 by the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The order fixes 42 percent reservation for BCs in local bodies and frames it as social justice. The Panchayat Raj Department followed up with reservation notifications. The State Election Commission then unveiled a five-phase schedule: ZPTC/MPTC in two phases and Gram Panchayats in three, spanning October 9 to November 11.
Two petitions shaped today’s context. In the High Court, Madhava Reddy has assailed the move to add a 42 percent BC quota without first revisiting earlier reservations; the court has listed the matter for October 8. In the Supreme Court, Vanga Gopala Reddy alleged that the total reservation would breach the 50 percent threshold, potentially touching 67 percent, contrary to prior apex court precedents. The Supreme Court, however, refused to intervene while the High Court remains seized.
Practically, today’s order stabilizes the election calendar and the reservation matrix. Administrators will proceed with ward mapping, ballot planning, and training. Nevertheless, the High Court hearing remains pivotal and could refine, sustain, or recalibrate elements of the framework.
Politically, the decision gives the government room to execute the timetable. Legally, it reaffirms the principle that litigants should respect the forum hierarchy, especially when a coordinate issue is already being tested. Therefore, the next decisive moment is the High Court’s October 8 hearing.
In sum, Telangana BC reservation continues to guide preparations. The Supreme Court’s signal is procedural clarity; the High Court’s ruling will supply the substantive answer.
