Insaaf Times Desk
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the Telangana government’s decision to increase reservation for the Backward Classes (BC) to 42% in the upcoming local body elections. The court directed the petitioner, Vanga Gopal Reddy, to approach the High Court for relief.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that similar petitions are already pending before the Telangana High Court, and it was therefore not appropriate to approach the Supreme Court directly.
Background of the Case
On September 26, 2025, the Telangana government issued Government Order (GO) No. 9, providing 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), 10% for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 42% for Backward Classes (BC) in local body elections, taking the total reservation to 67%.
Vanga Gopal Reddy, a resident of Rajanna Sircilla, challenged the order in the Supreme Court, claiming it violated Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayati Raj Act, 2018, which limits total reservations in local body elections to 50%.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Somiren Sharma, told the court that the GO was issued after court hours and during holidays, violating Supreme Court guidelines. He added that the High Court had refused to stay the order, and the election notification was issued on September 29.
The Telangana Congress welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, calling it an important step toward social justice. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and TPCC President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud pledged to implement the reservation.
Meanwhile, Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao accused Congress leaders of playing political drama, stating that while the Supreme Court did not intervene, Congress is trying to make it a major issue.
The next hearing in the Telangana High Court is scheduled for October 8, which will determine the legality of the reservation policy. The state government has already started preparations for implementation, including caste-based surveys and recommendations from the BC Commission.
