Telangana cabinet decides to head to Delhi in protest seeking presidential assent for 42 percent quota bills

The protest is aimed at securing presidential assent for two bills passed by the Telangana Assembly, which are still pending. The bills propose raising BC reservations to 42 percent in local bodies, education, and employment – a substantial increase from the current quota.

Published Jul 28, 2025 | 10:41 PMUpdated Jul 28, 2025 | 10:41 PM

Telangana cabinet decides to head to Delhi in protest seeking presidential assent for 42 percent quota bills

Synopsis: The Telangana Cabinet has decided to hold a three-day protest in New Delhi from 5 to 7 August, demanding presidential assent for two long-pending bills that seek to raise Backward Classes reservations to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies. The ruling Congress has accused the BJP-led Centre of deliberate delay and stepped up pressure on the party’s Telangana unit to secure the quota hike.

The ruling Congress in Telangana, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is intensifying its campaign to secure a hike in reservations for Backward Classes (BCs), taking the battle to New Delhi.

In a strategic move to increase pressure on the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, the state cabinet on Monday, 28 July, decided to launch a three-day agitation from 5 to 7 August in the national capital.

The protest is aimed at securing presidential assent for two bills passed by the Telangana Assembly, which are still pending. The bills propose raising BC reservations to 42 percent in local bodies, education, and employment – a substantial increase from the current quota.

The Congress’s push is tied to its Kamareddy Declaration, a pre-election promise made in 2023. The move seeks to address long-standing demands from the BC community, which makes up a significant share of Telangana’s population.

The Congress also alleges that the BC quota was diluted during the previous  Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime to keep total reservations under the 50 percent cap mandated by the Supreme Court.

The Telangana Assembly passed the two bills on 22 March 2025. They were sent to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, who gave his assent on 30 March 2025 and forwarded them to President Droupadi Murmu for final approval.

The bills require inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to be shielded from judicial review.

Additionally, on 14 July, the state government sent an ordinance amending the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, to remove the 50 percent cap on reservations imposed by the previous BRS government under K Chandrashekar Rao.

This was seen as an effort to implement the proposed 42 percent quota for local body elections amidst continued delay in securing clearance for the aforementioned bills. However, the ordinance also remains pending with the Governor.

Also Read: Andhra Pradesh BJP MP CM Ramesh claims KTR met him and offered to merge BRS in BJP

Final resort to get long-pending presidential nod

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, addressing the media after Monday’s cabinet meeting, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing justice for BCs.

“All Congress MPs, along with leaders from other parties, are welcome to join us in our fight for presidential assent to the two bills. Party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and our MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will increase pressure on the Centre to include the bills in the Ninth Schedule,” he said.

While he did not spell out the exact format of the protest, Prabhakar hinted that it could include various forms of agitation – a possible representation to the President, a dharna, or other appropriate actions.

“We have sought an appointment with the President of India. Our goal is to ensure the voice of Telangana’s BCs resonates in the nation’s capital,” he added.

The Congress government has sought to position itself as a defender of BC rights, accusing the earlier BRS government of cutting back BC quotas to adhere to the 50 percent ceiling.

“When KCR was chief minister, he suppressed BC aspirations. Our government is correcting that wrong by honouring the Kamareddy Declaration,” said Prabhakar.

The delay in conducting local body polls since January 2024 has also led to a freeze on central funds – something the state government says adds urgency to implementing the proposed reservations.

Also Read: Telangana CM Revanth presents caste survey findings to Congress leadership, seeks backing for quota bills

New strategy targets BJP over delay

The cabinet’s move is seen as a calculated strategy to pin the blame on the BJP-led central government for the delay.

Prabhakar accused the BJP of double standards, pointing out that its legislators had backed the bills in the Telangana Assembly but later raised objections.

He also criticised Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, a lawyer, for questioning the legal validity of the bills despite the availability of empirical data.

“The 50 percent cap is no longer a barrier, especially after the introduction of 10 percent EWS reservations. Our bills were drafted after following due process, including obtaining empirical data,” Prabhakar said.

The minister also called on Telangana’s five BJP MPs – Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Eatala Rajender, Dharmapuri Arvind, R Krishnaiah, and K Laxman – to demonstrate their support for BCs by persuading their party to clear the bills.

He appealed to President Murmu to speed up her decision and made a pointed reference to the Supreme Court ruling that governors and the President cannot indefinitely delay action on bills.

The Congress’s planned stir in Delhi may further escalate political tensions, especially if it draws opposition from other parties.

(Edited by Dese Gowda)

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