The Congress party has made a firm decision to formally join the Special Leave Petition (SLP) that the Telangana government plans to file in the Supreme Court. This petition aims to overturn the recent Telangana High Court ruling that paused the implementation of a 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, accompanied by Minister Vakati Srihari, engaged in extensive discussions with legal experts, including prominent Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on Monday in New Delhi.
“The draft of the Special Leave Petition has already been sent to Mr. Singhvi, and we expect the petition to be filed very soon,” Mr. Goud confirmed, reiterating the Congress’s intent to become an active party in the case.
Earlier in the day, the TPCC chief met with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence to inquire about his well-being. During their conversation, Mr. Goud apprised the party president of the Telangana government’s strategic response following the High Court’s stay on reservations. He also emphasized the party’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the 42% quota for BC communities in the forthcoming local body polls.
It’s worth noting that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy previously held a comprehensive meeting with senior officials and subsequently consulted with Mr. Singhvi to explore all avenues for securing a favorable Supreme Court verdict, allowing the state to proceed with the elections as planned.
The government is determined to exhaust all available legal options before reaching any definitive conclusion regarding the implementation of the BC quota in these local body elections.
Should the Telangana government fail to obtain a positive outcome from the Supreme Court, it would be compelled to enforce the 42% quota when allocating tickets to aspirants from BC communities. This scenario is anticipated to significantly bolster the Congress party’s moral standing and intensify pressure on opposition parties to adopt a similar approach.
The Congress has already demonstrated its commitment to the BC community by allocating the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency ticket to BC leader Naveen Yadav, a move that has put other political parties on the defensive. While the BRS has nominated the wife of the late BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath, the BJP is still in the process of finalizing its candidate.