Hyderabad: Keeping in view that the ordinance to remove 50% cap on over all reservations from the Panchayat Raj Act of 2018 is still pending with President Droupadi Murmu, the crucial decision on how to extend the enhanced Backward Classes (BC) quota in local body elections or to go to court seeking more time, will be decided at the all-important political affairs committee meeting (PAC) of the Telangana Congress on Aug 23.Telangana Congress president and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud, BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar, senior leader V Hanumanth Rao among others met chief minister A Revanth Reddy at his residence on Sunday and finalised the date for PAC meeting to be held at Gandhi Bhavan on Aug 23 (Saturday) from 5 pm.The PAC would decide the dates for panchayat elections and how to extend the 42% BC quota in local bodies, and an effective strategy to be adopted to counter BRS and BJP and sweep the local body elections.Sources privy to the meeting between the TPCC chief and CM Revanth told TOI that both the sides reiterated their commitment to ensure 42% quota is extended to the BCs in panchayat elections. The meeting was of the view that the rural local body polls could be conducted in 20 to 25 days as the State Election Commission has almost completed the pre-poll exercise and that police would be in a position to provide security with a major security-cover intensive Ganesh festival being completed by then.“Mahesh Goud along with minister Ponnam Prabhakar also discussed with the CM whether to go to the high court, which set Sept 30 deadline for panchayat election to be completed, and seek more time. The discussions included that the state govt can present before the court all the steps taken to extend 42% reservations, including the ordinance, which is pending approval with the President. Finally, it was decided that the majority opinion of the PAC will be taken, based on which the CM will take a decision by discussing it in the cabinet,” a senior leader said.The PAC, comprises the CM, TPCC president, Dy CM, all the ministers, AICC in charge of Telangana Meenakshi Natrajan and other important senior leaders. The Congress govt has also taken legal opinion on enhanced BC quota, an issue that would also be discussed at the PAC meeting.
