The government is considering issuing an order to implement the quota, effectively lifting the 50 percent cap on reservations imposed by the Supreme Court.
Published Aug 30, 2025 | 5:18 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 30, 2025 | 10:08 PM
Telangana Ministers speaking to the media after Cabinet meeting.
Synopsis: The Congress government chose to re-endorse Professor Kodandaram while also nominating former cricketer and party leader Mohammad Azharuddin to the Legislative Council. Azharuddin had contested the last Assembly election from Jubilee Hills on a Congress ticket but was defeated by the late Maganti Gopinath. Following Gopinath’s passing, there was speculation that Azharuddin might be fielded in the upcoming bypoll.
A meeting of the Telangana Cabinet on Saturday, 30 August, made a slew of key decisions, including one to lift restrictions on reservations for Backward Classes.
With elections to the local bodies expected to be held by September-end, the Cabinet decided to implement the enhanced quota without delay.
Another major development was the endorsement of Professor M Kodandaram and the inclusion of former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin under the Governor’s Quota for MLC nominations.
The Cabinet decided to move ahead with enhanced reservations for Backward Classes, ensuring 42 percent representation in the upcoming local body elections. The government would introduce a fresh Bill in the Assembly, even as the earlier legislation, already passed by the House, has been pending with the President after being forwarded by the Governor.
In addition, the government is considering issuing an order to implement the quota, effectively lifting the 50 percent cap on reservations imposed by the Supreme Court. This step comes after weeks of uncertainty, during which the state Cabinet even staged a protest in Delhi, demanding the Presidential assent to the Bill before the polls.
The Congress had also announced that the state was conferring with legal experts, including AM Singhvi and the Vice Presidential candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy, to find legal routes to implement the reservations.
The move is also seen as a fulfillment of the Congress’s Kamareddy BC Declaration of 2023, a key election promise. With the high court directing that local body elections be held by the end of September, BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar confirmed that the polls will proceed on schedule and that “BCs will have 42 per cent reservations”.
Among the major decisions taken by the Cabinet was the nomination of Members to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s Quota. On 13 August, the Supreme Court stayed the earlier appointments of Professor Kodandaram and journalist Amer Ali Khan to the Council.
The Congress government chose to re-endorse Professor Kodandaram while also nominating former cricketer and party leader Mohammad Azharuddin. Azharuddin had contested the last Assembly election from Jubilee Hills on a Congress ticket but was defeated by the late Maganti Gopinath. Following Gopinath’s passing, there was speculation that Azharuddin might be fielded in the upcoming bypoll.
With his inclusion under the Governor’s Quota, Azharuddin is set to become the only Muslim representative from the Congress to hold a seat in either the Telangana Legislative Assembly or Council.
Speaking to the press after the Cabinet meeting, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas announced that the chief minister has convened a statewide review of the monsoon havoc on Monday, 1 September, at 4 pm.
The meeting will assess the extent of damage to roads, property, railway lines, and crops caused by last week’s heavy rains across Telangana.
He stated that the government will provide compensation to those affected and is exploring the use of advanced technology to monitor water inflows and outflows at major irrigation projects.
The Cabinet also revisited the issue of cow shelters, with discussions underway to frame a comprehensive policy to ensure their smooth functioning.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
