Hyderabad: Congress leaders from the Backward Classes (BCs) have decided to file mass petitions in the Telangana High Court on October 6 in support of GO 9, which grants 42 per cent reservations for BCs in local bodies. Senior BC ministers and legislators met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha on Wednesday to review the pending case on the enhanced BC quota and chalk out a strategy to secure judicial approval. The High Court is set to hear the petition challenging GO 9 on October 8.
The meeting also resolved to organise a BC Garjana rally ahead of the local body elections to highlight the Congress government’s move to increase BC reservations. The date and venue for the rally will be finalised after Dasara. BC leaders decided to implead in the ongoing case by filing individual petitions supporting G.O. 9. Ministers, MLAs and various BC associations will submit petitions en masse to back the state government’s decision. Among those present were ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Konda Surekha, Vakiti Srihari and TPCC chief and MLC B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with several BC legislators.
The leaders described GO 9 as a historic step, ensuring the rightful share of BCs in local governance. They pointed out that the previous BRS government had provided only 23 per cent reservations for BCs in the 2019 local body elections, while the Congress nearly doubled the quota. They also welcomed the Telangana State Election Commission’s September 29 notification incorporating the new quota.
According to the leaders, the 42 per cent quota was fixed after following all statutory procedures, including conducting a caste census and setting up a dedicated BC Commission as mandated by the Supreme Court. Mahesh Kumar Goud said the caste census data and the commission’s findings clearly established the backwardness of BCs in education, employment and political representation, providing the legal basis for GO 9.
They also resolved to inform the High Court that the enhanced quota had unanimous approval from all political parties when enabling bills were passed in the Legislative Assembly. As the bills are awaiting assent from the Governor and the President, the government issued the GO on September 29 to comply with the court’s September 30 deadline for determining reservations and holding local body elections.
The Congress leadership has vowed to vigorously defend the 42 per cent BC quota when the High Court takes up the case on October 8. The BC Garjana, which was earlier planned for September 12 in Kamareddy but postponed due to heavy rains, will now be held before the elections to mobilise public support for the Congress government’s move to enhance BC representation.
