Telangana Delegation To Meet Governor Over 42% Reservation For Backward Classes

A delegation of ministers and all-party leaders from Telangana is set to meet Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at Raj Bhavan to press for the immediate approval of bills that would remove the 50% ceiling on reservations and pave the way for 42% reservations for Backward Classes.

The meeting follows a landmark session in the Telangana Legislative Assembly yesterday, which saw the unanimous passage of two crucial amendment bills aimed at lifting the 50% reservation cap for Backward Classes.

On Sunday, the Telangana Assembly passed the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025. These bills are a legislative push by the government to provide 42% reservation to Backward Classes in the upcoming local body elections, a move that comes as the state faces a Telangana High Court deadline to hold polls by September 30.

During the debate, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy reiterated his government's commitment to empowering the BC community and stated that the 42% quota would be implemented in the upcoming elections. He also recalled that earlier attempts to pass similar legislation and ordinances were stalled after the Governor referred them to the President for her assent, which is still pending.

The proceedings saw a heated but ultimately unified debate, with the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) expressing support for the bills. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao acknowledged his party's support but also raised concerns about the legal sustainability of the bills and the sincerity of the government's efforts. He urged the government to lobby with the Central government for a constitutional amendment to include the new reservation provisions in the Ninth Schedule, on the lines of what Tamil Nadu has done. Other BRS members also questioned whether the bills would hold up to legal scrutiny without a constitutional amendment.

In response, ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar defended the government's actions, stating that the bills were a sincere effort to provide justice to the BCs. They also highlighted a 2012 Supreme Court judgment that allows states to proceed with such reservations if there is unanimity among political parties, which was achieved in the Assembly.

Following the passage of the bills, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar extended an invitation to the floor leaders of all parties, including BRS, to join the government's delegation to the Governor. The purpose of the meeting is to "convey the mood of the House" and impress upon Governor Varma the collective will of the Assembly to see the bills approved without delay.

This proactive step is seen as an attempt to prevent a repeat of the previous situation where a similar bill was sent to the President for assent. The government hopes that a unified front will convince the Governor to grant his approval, paving the way for the implementation of the enhanced reservations in the upcoming local body elections.