Published Oct 07, 2026 | 1:04 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 07, 2026 | 1:04 PM
Coalition leaders maintain that the state government is pursuing an unyielding effort to secure 34% local body reservations for BCs.
Synopsis: The state government has not officially revealed the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission’s specific recommendations, nor has the cabinet formally approved the report. This has led to speculation that the commission may not have recommended measures that violate Supreme Court guidelines.
The dispute over Backwards Classes (BC) reservations has reached the Supreme Court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court division bench struck down two state Government Orders (GOs) issued to implement a 34% quota in local body elections.
Despite the GOs running counter to guidelines set by the Supreme Court Constitution Bench, the Andhra Pradesh government is maintaining a firm stance.
Although the AP government issued the BC reservation orders citing recommendations from the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission, the commission’s report has not yet been made public. The state government stated this before the High Court as well.
Doubts have arisen regarding the state government’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s directives on assessing the conditions of BCs and implementing quotas. The state has now challenged the High Court ruling in the Supreme Court, and the apex court is likely to hear the petition this week.
The Supreme Court had previously held that an independent commission must be established to comprehensively examine social conditions before deciding on BC quotas, and that the total reservation must not breach the 50% ceiling. This requires an exhaustive study, including a dedicated empirical assessment.
In Andhra Pradesh, after forming the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission, the government instructed it to assess BCs using data from previously conducted Comprehensive Family Surveys. Without conducting an independent field survey, the commission had to rely primarily on data provided by the administration.
Also Read: High Court strikes down 34% BC quota, orders local body polls within six weeks
The state government has not officially revealed the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission’s specific recommendations, nor has the cabinet formally approved the report. This has led to speculation that the commission may not have recommended measures that violate Supreme Court guidelines.
Suspicions have also been raised that the BC reservation issue was raked up with political motives ahead of local body polls. With the revival of the 34% quota—previously struck down by the High Court in 2020—and the latest judicial setback, the matter has returned to square one.
Under Articles 243-D(6) and 243-T(6) of the Constitution, states can provide reservations for BCs in local bodies. Through a 1995 amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, the state provided a quota of “not less than 34% for BCs in panchayats, a framework that remained in place until 2019.
However, in light of Supreme Court judgments mandating that aggregate reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs must not exceed 50%, legal challenges emerged against the 34% BC quota. In December 2019, the previous government fixed reservations for panchayat polls at 19.08% for SCs, 6.77% for STs, and 34% for BCs, taking total vertical reservations to 59.85%.
This led to the Birru Pratap Reddy v. State of Andhra Pradesh case in the AP High Court. On 2 March 2020, the High Court struck down the statutory provision providing 34% BC reservation and set aside GO No. 176. It ruled that total quotas for SC, ST, and BC communities must generally remain within the 50% ceiling, ordering the state to collect comprehensive data on BC backwardness before fixing any quota.
An appeal to the Supreme Court yielded no relief, forcing the state to cap BC reservations within the 50% aggregate limit during the 2021 local body polls. Following this legal precedent, complying with the Supreme Court’s “Triple Test” became mandatory:
The tenure of local bodies in Andhra Pradesh expired in March and April 2026. Ahead of fresh elections, the NDA coalition government conducted a Unified Family Survey in late 2025 to collect household-level social and demographic data across the state.
According to figures submitted by the government to the High Court, the survey placed the BC population at approximately 50.42% statewide—comprising 48.84% in rural areas and 54.35% in urban areas, as reiterated in the state’s Supreme Court petition. The state argued that population proportion was not the sole criterion, adding that it considered other socio-economic and political dimensions.
Also Read: Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approves 34% BC quota
As part of the Triple Test requirements, the state appointed a single-member dedicated commission headed by retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra on 19 February 2026. The commission was tasked with assessing the nature, extent, and impact of BC backwardness in local bodies and recommending proportionate quotas for each body. Alongside the Unified Family Survey data, the commission visited districts, mandals, and municipalities and held consultations with residents, officials, and community representatives.
The Mishra Commission submitted its report to the government on 14 August 2026. However, the government had not officially approved the report at the time, informing the High Court that it remained under administrative review.
Relying on the commission’s findings, the Unified Family Survey, and related data, the state moved to restore the quotas in August 2026. On 20 August, it issued GO 105, providing a 34% BC reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions (Gram Panchayats, Mandal Parishads, and Zilla Parishads), and GO 1065, mandating 33.33% for BCs in municipal bodies (Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Nagar Panchayats).
Several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) challenged both orders. Petitioners argued that a 34% BC quota pushes total reservations past the 50% ceiling. They also questioned how the government could issue reservations based on a commission report it had not officially accepted.
On 1 October 2026, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan invalidated the orders, holding that the Unified Family Survey alone did not meet the standard of empirical inquiry for political reservations, and that citing an unapproved commission report was legally insufficient. On 3 October, the state government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the High Court ruling, leaving open whether the Supreme Court will grant interim relief.
Also Read: Everyone supports Backward Classes, but nothing happens…
Coalition leaders maintain that the state government is pursuing an unyielding effort to secure 34% local body reservations for BCs.
Union and state ministers are currently in Delhi assessing the situation. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government is seeking judicial remedy from the Supreme Court, arguing that it has placed adequate data before the court to justify crossing the 50% ceiling. He noted that the state is shaping its legal strategy after thoroughly reviewing past High Court rulings.
Naidu stated that if implemented, the 34% quota would secure roughly 16,800 local governance posts for BC candidates—ranging from Sarpanches, MPTCs, and ZPTCs to Municipal Councillors and Mayors—creating pathways for them to enter state assemblies and Parliament.
With the petition slated for a hearing this week, several BC ministers from the state cabinet are stationed in Delhi to assist the legal effort. The ministerial team has consulted senior Supreme Court advocates, including Mukul Rohatgi and Devadatt Kamat, reviewing apex court precedents, commission reports, and viable arguments.
Legal observers note that past rulings by the Supreme Court Constitution Bench regarding the 50% quota ceiling remain explicit. Questions have also been raised over whether legal principles from rulings on the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota can be applied to local body elections, as the EWS quota is strictly confined to education and public employment rather than political representation.
With the High Court directing local body elections to be held within six weeks, the coalition administration is preparing contingency measures should the Supreme Court decline interim relief.
In internal discussions and teleconferences, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu told party leaders that if statutory backing cannot be secured, the party will seek to implement proportionate representation politically by allotting tickets based on population share, preparing the party to counter political campaigns.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
