The Telangana High Court issued an interim order on Thursday, October 9, 2025, effectively halting the election notification for rural local bodies, which was previously issued by the State Election Commission.
A judicial panel comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin presided over two days of intense arguments concerning petitions that contested the 42% reservation quota for Backward Classes in local governance. The court instructed the government to present its official counter-affidavit within four weeks, granting the petitioners an additional two weeks to submit their replies.
During the resumed hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy addressed a query from the bench. He clarified that the government had not issued a separate notification after the Bill, which increased Backward Class reservations to 42%, was passed in March 2025. Reddy argued that no such specific notification was necessary, as the Bill itself was considered to have been duly notified.
Following the Advocate General’s arguments, the Bench announced its decision to stay the election notification. It indicated that a comprehensive order, detailing the reasons behind this stay, would be released shortly.
Meanwhile, outside the High Court’s main gates, activists from Backward Class Associations held protest demonstrations, voicing their strong support for the increased reservation quotas. Interestingly, on the same day, some candidates had already submitted their nominations for the MPTC and ZPTC positions, adhering to the State Election Commission’s (SEC) now-stayed notification.