Telangana Assembly passed bills to increase BC reservations to 42 percent in education, employment, and local body elections.
Published Jul 09, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 09, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Telangana panchayat polls. (iStock)
Synopsis: Telangana’s 42 percent BC reservation plan for local polls has triggered political tussles among Congress, BJP, and BRS. While bills await Presidential assent, Congress faces heat for delays, with BJP and BRS accusing it of betrayal. Legal hurdles, blame games, and protests, including Kavitha’s planned “Rail Roko,” dominate the discourse, threatening Congress’s credibility ahead of crucial panchayat elections.
A political charade is unfolding in Telangana over the issue of 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections. The issue has sparked intense debate with major parties adopting different postures in espousing the BCs’ cause.
The Telangana High Court set 30 September 2025 as the deadline for panchayat elections, which brought the BC reservation issue into sharp focus. The ruling Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are locked in a high-stakes battle. Each aims to outsmart the others on this promise. Everyone supports BC reservations, but no clear solution has been established.
On 17 March 2025, the Telangana Assembly passed bills to increase BC reservations to 42 percent in education, employment, and local body elections. These bills await Presidential assent. The delay fuels accusations, protests, and political posturing.
The Congress is under pressure to honour its 2023 Kamareddy declaration promise, with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy claiming commitment to the 42 percent quota.
A caste survey conducted earlier this year showed BCs make up 56.36 percent of Telangana’s population. The bills’ passage was significant, but the lack of Presidential approval is leaving Congress vulnerable.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, in his recent visit to Hyderabad, urged state leaders to implement the quota and win elections. His insistence made one wonder if he wanted the state to issue a GO and then go to panchayat elections, but it may not stand to judicial review.
However, the Congress blames the BJP-led Centre for the delay in including the bill in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. It claims that since the caste census was completed, and bills are sent to the centre, the ball now lies in the BJP’s court. The party’s strategy seems to wait for the BJP’s inaction until the elections near. Congress may then proceed with existing reservations, blaming the BJP.
As a goodwill gesture, Congress says it will unofficially allot 42 percent of seats to BCs. However, panchayat elections are not party-based, making it hard to verify this claim.
The BJP leaders, meanwhile, accuse Congress of inaction. They claim the state can issue a Government Order under Article 243D to implement reservations without the Centre’s approval. BJP called out the Congress’s blame-shifting as a political stunt to mislead BCs. The BJP positions itself as a proactive alternative, attacking Congress’s delays.
BRS MLC K Kavitha, who is championing the BC cause, insisted that Congress keep its promise or face public wrath. Kavitha announced a “Rail Roko” protest on 17 July to pressure the BJP-led Centre for assent.
She urged Congress to wait for the bills’ inclusion in the Ninth Schedule. Kavitha’s aggressive stance aims to rebuild her political outfit and influence Telangana’s political space.
The 42 percent BC reservation faces a legal hurdle: the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap on total reservations. Combined with SC and ST quotas, the proposed reservation reaches 70 percent. A constitutional amendment or Ninth Schedule inclusion is needed for enhancement.
Congress leaders, including Revanth Reddy, stress the need for Ninth Schedule inclusion. Reddy expected swift BJP action when the bills were passed.
The reservation issue has become a charade of promises, protests, and blame-shifting. For Congress, failure could harm its credibility and electoral prospects. BRS and BJP can exploit the delay to portray themselves as BC defenders.
With Presidential assent pending and the High Court’s deadline looming for elections, implementing the quota in time seems unlikely. Yet, the issue will dominate pre-election discourse, shaping voter perceptions and Telangana’s political landscape.
BC Rajyadhikara Samiti founder Dasu Suresh vows to fight until the Kamareddy declaration is implemented. He demands that the panchayat elections wait for the 42 percent reservation.
“If Congress doesn’t keep its word, we won’t let ministers visit villages,” Suresh told South First.
He questioned whether Revanth Reddy or Rahul Gandhi would take responsibility. He further noted that under KCR’s regime, BCs faced reduced reservations: “If Revanth Reddy’s government follows suit, BCs may turn against Congress.”
Suresh also criticised the cabinet’s composition, claiming that BCs got insignificant portfolios while upper castes received high-budget departments.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
