In its appeal, the state government said the High Court issued the order without fully hearing its arguments and urged the Supreme Court to intervene immediately given the election timeline.
Published Oct 15, 2025 | 4:46 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2025 | 4:46 PM
The state has argued that its decision to raise the BC quota was supported by empirical data.
Synopsis: The Telangana government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s interim stay on its order granting 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes in local body elections. In its Special Leave Petition, the Congress-led administration argued that the High Court issued the stay without fully hearing the state’s case, and warned that the suspension could disrupt the ongoing poll process.
The Congress-led Telangana government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s interim stay on its order providing 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in the upcoming local body elections.
The 40-page petition, submitted on Tuesday, 14 October, seeks an urgent hearing this week, citing the ongoing election process and the need to implement the revised quota without affecting the poll schedule.
On 9 October, the High Court had suspended Government Order (GO) No. 9 issued by the Backward Classes Welfare Department, which raised BC reservations in local bodies to 42 percent.
The change pushed the overall quota to 67 percent, exceeding the 50 percent ceiling imposed by the Supreme Court in its landmark Indra Sawhney judgment.
Petitioners before the High Court had argued that the enhancement breached constitutional limits without demonstrating exceptional grounds. Acting on these submissions, a bench headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh granted an interim suspension of the GO, pending further hearings.
In its appeal, the state government said the High Court issued the order without fully hearing its arguments and urged the Supreme Court to intervene immediately given the election timeline.
“The process for local body elections has already commenced, with nominations filed in several districts,” the petition stated.
It cautioned that the continued suspension could cause “administrative uncertainty and potential disruption” in the conduct of polls by the State Election Commission (SEC).
The government has requested that the case be listed for hearing on 16 or 17 October. The Supreme Court registry has reportedly assured that it will be placed before Chief Justice of India BR Gavai.
The SLP also notes that the government’s decision to raise the BC quota was supported by empirical data from a comprehensive caste survey, which estimated the BC population at about 56 percent of Telangana’s total.
A one-man commission set up to review socio-economic indicators had recommended a 42 percent reservation after detailed analysis, describing it as “reflective of the people’s will” and justified under the exceptional circumstances permitted by the Constitution.
The state has sought the Supreme Court’s permission to allow the SEC and other authorities to proceed with the elections under the enhanced quota framework, saying it would ensure “proportional representation and social justice for backward communities.”
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud, who was in New Delhi on 14 October, discussed the legal strategy with senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Speaking to reporters, Goud reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to BC welfare, accusing the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Bharatiya Janata Party of politicising the issue.
“We are pursuing data-driven reforms to deliver justice for BCs. We trust the Supreme Court will recognise the merit of our case and grant relief,” he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
