Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Thursday strongly defended the state government’s decision to issue GO 9 providing 42 per cent reservations to the Backward Classes (BCs) communities in local bodies, which was stayed by the Telangana High Court.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhatti accused the BRS and the BJP of obstructing the government’s efforts to empower BCs and blamed them for politically blocking the 42 per cent BC quota.
Bhatti said the Congress government had passed a Bill in the Legislative Assembly in March 2025 to provide 42 per cent reservation for BCs in local bodies and forwarded it to the Governor for approval. However, the Governor kept the Bill pending without any action.
Citing a Supreme Court judgment delivered in April 2025, Bhatti said if the Governor neither assented to nor returned a Bill within a reasonable period, it will be deemed to have been approved. Acting on this verdict, the state government treated the Bill as deemed to have been approved after waiting for over six months and subsequently issued GO 9 on September 29, 2025, to implement the 42 per cent BC quota.
He explained that the GO 9 was issued to comply with the High Court’s deadline of September 30 to determine BC reservations and conduct local body elections.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government had meticulously followed all legal and procedural requirements before enhancing the BC quota — which included conducting a comprehensive caste survey and appointing a dedicated BC Commission, which scientifically analysed empirical data and recommended a 42 per cent quota.
Bhatti lashed out at the BRS for having capped total reservations at 50 per cent in 2018 through legislation and failing to extend benefits to BCs. He alleged that both BRS and BJP, who had remained silent during earlier struggles for BC rights, were now pretending to be champions of the same cause. “They deprived BCs of their rightful share and are now trying to mislead the people. The public is not naïve, nor are BC leaders,” he remarked.
Reaffirming the Congress government’s commitment, Bhatti said the struggle for 42 per cent BC reservation would continue both legally and politically. “We will not retreat until justice is done to the backward classes,” he asserted.
