The pathway to conducting rural local body elections in Telangana has hit a significant snag. The Telangana High Court has temporarily halted the implementation of Government Order (G.O. Ms. 9), a crucial directive that provided for a 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BC) in these local bodies.
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, after hearing arguments from both petitioners and the state government, the High Court issued an interim stay on G.O. Ms. 9. This decision has effectively brought the election preparations to a standstill. The court has now adjourned the hearing, directing the government to submit a counter-affidavit within four weeks, followed by a two-week period for petitioners to respond. This legal process is expected to delay the elections by at least six weeks.
The government had initially hoped for a favorable outcome from the High Court, especially after the Supreme Court declined to intervene in earlier pleas challenging the 42% reservation. Those challenges argued that the reservation was unconstitutional and violated the Apex Court’s 50% cap on overall reservations.
Just a day before the High Court’s stay, notifications were issued for the first phase of elections, covering 292 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) and 2,963 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) across 31 districts. This move followed the Telangana State Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule on September 29, which finally set in motion the long-awaited election process.
The High Court’s interim stay has dealt a significant blow to the government’s plans, particularly its ambition to conduct these elections with the 42% BC reservation, a commitment made by the ruling Congress party. The big question now is whether the government will proceed with the elections under the assured 42% reservation, or if it will wait until these complex legal issues are fully resolved.
Reacting to the development, BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar expressed his disappointment, describing the High Court’s stay on the 42% reservation order as “unexpected.”
He emphasized that the State Government had meticulously followed due process, including conducting a caste census, establishing a dedicated commission, and passing a bill to enhance reservations to 42%. The government had also amended the Panchayat Raj Act of 2018, secured the assent of Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, and presented a robust case in court to defend these enhanced reservations.
Prabhakar also voiced concerns that Telangana was missing out on crucial Central grants due to the absence of elected local bodies. He reiterated that the government would announce its next course of action once it receives the full copy of the High Court’s interim orders.
Furthermore, the Minister affirmed the Congress party’s unwavering commitment to social justice for Backward Classes. He challenged the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not joining the case, implying a lack of support for the reservation. He concluded by stating that the Congress is ready to contest the polls on a platform of social justice, under the leadership of senior party figure Rahul Gandhi.