Govt To Move SC Against HC Stay On BC Reservations

The Telangana government is reported to have decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, seeking vacation of the stay imposed by the State High Court on GO No 9, which provides 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, minister Ponnam Prabhakar and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi held a virtual meeting to discuss the legal strategy.

The leaders reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring 42% BC reservations in local body elections, and the government plans to urge the Supreme Court to lift the stay and allow elections to be conducted with 42% BC reservations, arguing that the High Court's intervention came even after the nomination process had begun.

The High Court had earlier stayed the implementation of the GO ruling that reservations should not exceed 50% as per the Supreme Court guidelines. Following this, the State Election Commission sought clarification from the government on the reservations issue.

The State Cabinet is expected to meet next week, and it remains to be seen what decision it will take.