The Telangana government has moved swiftly to challenge the High Court’s recent decision, announcing its plan to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court this Monday, October 13. This legal action comes after the High Court halted the implementation of a 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in upcoming local body elections.
To ensure a robust legal challenge, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, Ponnam Prabhakar, will travel to New Delhi alongside Sports Minister Vakati Srihari and TPCC president, MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud. Their mission is to collaborate with legal experts and finalize the details of the petition.
This decisive step follows extensive consultations between Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, senior cabinet ministers, and renowned Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. After these discussions, the government resolved to approach the Apex Court, seeking a favorable ruling that would allow them to proceed with the increased reservation.
Government officials are optimistic, asserting their belief that they have meticulously met all criteria previously established by the Supreme Court regarding BC reservations in local bodies. They highlight the formation of a dedicated commission and the execution of a thorough caste survey, designed to scientifically assess the social, educational, and economic status, as well as the population, of Backward Classes.
“With all necessary conditions fulfilled, we anticipate a positive outcome from the Supreme Court,” stated a senior Minister, conveying the administration’s strong sense of assurance. Previously, the Supreme Court had advised those challenging the government’s reservation order to first seek redress from the High Court, indicating that the apex court might step in at a later stage if circumstances warranted.
Despite this confidence, a critical question looms: what if the Supreme Court rejects their plea? Should this occur, the Revanth Reddy government’s sole recourse would be to strategically allocate 42% of its party tickets to BC candidates in local body elections, thereby exerting moral pressure on other political entities to follow suit.
However, some Congress BC leaders are against this approach. They insist that the credit for the 42% reservation should unequivocally belong to the Congress party, and advocate for delaying elections until the reservation matter is definitively resolved.
The Telangana High Court’s Division Bench, consisting of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, clarified that their ruling did not halt the electoral process itself. Instead, the stay specifically applied to the Government Order (GO) pertaining to the increased reservation.