Latest news with #TelanganaPanchayatRajAct
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana quota politics: Congress stakes claim on backward class mandate
Increased reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have been a significant issue for the Congress, with its leader, Rahul Gandhi, frequently citing the Telangana government's approach and vowing to challenge the Supreme Court's 50 percent quota ceiling. The Telangana government passed bills in March to ensure 42 percent reservation for OBCs in education, employment, and local bodies. However, while awaiting the President's nod, the State Cabinet last week also approved an amendment to the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, providing 42 percent reservations for OBCs in local bodies. There are reasons for it. Obvious, of course, is the Congress policy. The other is the recent high court directive to the State government to complete local polls within three months. The question now is whether enforcing the quota, most likely through an ordinance, will get the Governor's approval. Constitutional experts believe otherwise, given the apex court verdicts in the Krishna Murthy vs. Union of India and the Indra Sawhney & Others vs. Union of India cases. The Cabinet's likely push for an ordinance before the local elections signals urgency and a clear political play. At the same time, the state has demonstrated due diligence by establishing a commission to study political backwardness and conducting a survey.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
If Rahul Gandhi were PM, we would have achieved 42 per cent BC quota: CM Revanth Reddy
HYDERABAD: Emphasising Congress's commitment to social justice, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy noted that if Rahul Gandhi were the prime minister, instead of Narendra Modi, he would have ensured constitutional protection to the bills related to enhancement of BC reservations to 42% within 48 hours. He made it clear that he would do anything to achieve 42% BC reservations in education, employment and politics. 'The Opposition doesn't have a moral right to question me on this. Nobody can question my commitment,' he asserted. He made these remarks while interacting with members of BC rights groups and leaders from the Congress at his residence on Saturday. He said that his government would appoint top advocates from the national capital if the government decision to provide 42% reservations to BCs in local body elections comes under judicial scrutiny. He suggested that the BC leaders declare social boycott of those who move court or engage in such activity to thwart BC reservations. Revanth said that the BJP leaders holding the ranks of Union ministers should prove their sincerity by exerting pressure on the prime minister to include the bills pertaining to enhancement of BC reservations in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. Stating that the existing Telangana Panchayat Raj Act brought by the BRS government is proving to be an impediment to providing 42% reservations to BCs in local body elections, he said that BC leaders Gangula Kamalakar, Srinivas Goud, and Srinivas Yadav were ministers when the bill was introduced. He added that former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is using these leaders to criticise the government over the decision to bring ordinance to amend the Panchayat Raj Act. Further, he appealed to the BC leaders to stand by him to achieve reservations for BCs. He said that the 2029 elections should be held on the basis of BC reservations. Revanth Reddy also said that the state government will make a PowerPoint presentation to all the MPs of INDIA alliance on the issue.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana Cabinet clears 42 per cent quota for BCs in local body polls
HYDERABAD: In a major step aimed at ensuring social justice, the Telangana Cabinet on Thursday approved 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections. To facilitate this, the Cabinet cleared an amendment to the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. The state government will send the amended Act to the Governor, who is expected to promulgate an Ordinance. The Telangana High Court had earlier directed the state government to take a decision on the reservation issue within a month. To enable the issuance of the Ordinance, the Budget session of the Assembly was prorogued on Thursday. Apart from the approval of 42 per cent quota for BCs in local bodies, the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, took several key decisions. The advocate general attended the meeting, presented his views, and offered legal advice on the proposal. The previous BRS government had reduced BC reservations from 34 per cent to 23 per cent when it enacted the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act in 2018. Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy stated that the Congress had promised 42% reservations for BCs during the elections. Based on the caste census, the government decided to implement the 42% quota, and the Assembly passed the relevant Bills and forwarded them for the President's approval. He added that despite repeated requests, the Union government has been raising queries and delaying the process. 'The Cabinet has decided to hold local body elections with 42 per cent reservations for BCs. Recently, the High Court also ordered that the election process be completed within three months. The Cabinet sought suggestions and legal advice from the advocate general. For this, the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 will be amended.'
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Writ challenges 100% quota for STs in scheduled areas
Hyderabad: Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the registry to place before the CJ bench the writ filed by a non-tribal welfare society challenging the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, reserving 100% seats to STs in scheduled areas in the ensuing local body elections. She adjudicated the writ filed by society secretary Kondabathina Madhu of Ramnagar, Chunchupally mandal, Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The petitioner's counsel argued that due to allocation of 100% seats to STs in the scheduled areas, even though there is no ST candidate available to contest the post of 'sarpanch' in a particular gram panchayat in the scheduled area as a drawback, due to which the government is entrusting the work of sarpanches to special officers, instead of elected representatives. He sought a direction to the government to permit a non-tribal to contest in such cases to ensure democratic governance at the grassroots level. The counsel urged the court to direct the government not to issue the election notification with regard to sarpanch posts in schedule areas reserving 100% to STs and stay the polls there.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana's BC quota dilemma: Will Governor approve ordinance amid legal hurdles?
HYDERABAD: While the state government is understood to have decided to amend the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 by introducing an ordinance to enhance BC reservations to 42 per cent, it is now in a fix because it is not sure if Governor Jishnu Dev Varma would give consent to the proposed legislation. The Supreme Court's precedent on reservation limit too casts a shadow over the issue, regardless of the supporting empirical data and the Dedicated Commission's recommendations to enhance reservations. The apprehension of the government comes in the wake of Jishnu Dev Varma sending two Bills — the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill 2025, and the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State) Bill, 2025 which were passed in the State Legislature to enhance BC reservations to 42% — to President Droupadi Murmu. Draft Bill on amendment to Telangana PR Act According to sources, the Law department has prepared a draft Bill to promulgate an ordinance to amend the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which would be presented during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday (July 10). The amendment would be confined only to the provisions which fixed a cap on reservations for SC, ST and BC communities, sources added. The Governor should prorogue the Fifth Session of the Third Telangana Legislative Assembly (Budget session) for the government to promulgate an ordinance. While there is a precedent set forth by the Supreme Court not to exceed the reservations by 50%, the state government is likely to present the outcome of the Socio Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey to be the reasons to exceed that limit. Nevertheless, the legal and constitutional implications of exceeding the 50% threshold remain contentious. Timing and legality of local body elections Sources said that the Cabinet is also expected to deliberate on multiple scenarios, ranging from the President granting assent to the possibility of her withholding it. Either possibility carries significant consequences for the timing and legality of local body elections. With the clock ticking towards the September deadline set by the HC, the coming days will be crucial in determining whether the government can navigate the legal complexities to implement its reservation agenda or if it will be forced into a political recalibration.
