Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, accompanied by half a dozen ministers, intensified efforts to explore all legal avenues to legitimately extend 42% reservations to Backward Classes (BCs) by consulting legal experts, including party MP and Supreme Court senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, in New Delhi on Monday.The CM, along with deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, D Anasuya (Seethakka), and other senior leaders, also held meetings with the retired apex court judge and vice-presidential candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy, as well as AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.On Tuesday, the delegation is scheduled to leave the national capital for Bihar to take part in Rahul Gandhi’s padyatra, which forms part of his alleged “Vote Chori campaign” against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP govt at the Centre.Following a nearly two-hour meeting with Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Bhatti informed reporters that they had explained in detail the procedure followed in conducting the caste census, the passage of two BC quota Bills, and the ordinance intended to remove the 50% cap on overall reservations, all of which are currently awaiting presidential assent.“Abhishek Manu Singhvi offered us expert guidance on how to proceed with implementing 42% reservations for BCs in local bodies, education, and employment. We will also seek opinions from other legal luminaries. Our ministerial committee will submit a report on the way forward to the state cabinet, which is set to meet on August 29. The cabinet will then take a final decision,” Bhatti told reporters after the meeting.Sources familiar with the discussions told TOI that the ministerial delegation, led by Bhatti, also sought Singhvi’s legal opinion on the Supreme Court’s three-month deadline for the speaker to rule on disqualification petitions against ten defected MLAs. The CM had earlier announced that the Telangana govt had engaged two senior advocates to represent its case concerning the 42% BC quota Bills, which have been pending with the President for over four months.The Supreme Court is currently examining whether the 90-day deadline for presidential assent to Bills should be upheld, and has asked all state govts to submit their positions on the matter.Later, CM Revanth and ministers met KC Venugopal and briefed him on the legal advice received from Singhvi regarding the BC quota and turncoat MLAs. They also discussed the Congress govt’s election plans and the likely decision on the BC quota to be taken during the upcoming cabinet meeting. They also finalised the nominated posts of directors to various corporations in Telangana. The delegation then met Justice B Sudershan Reddy.Meanwhile, Telangana assembly speaker G Prasad Kumar, who is in New Delhi attending the All India Speakers’ Conference, met Union home minister Amit Shah and urged him to ensure that the two BC quota Bills and the ordinance receive the President’s assent.
