Revanth Reddy govt on the back foot as court stays Telangana poll process
The Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government suffered a major political and administrative blow on Thursday after the High Court issued an interim stay on the notification process for the upcoming local body elections.
The court’s order directly affects the state’s decision to increase Backward Class (BC) reservations to 42%, a flagship election promise of the ruling Congress government.
The State Election Commission (SEC), which had already issued the election schedule, is now awaiting the official court order to decide the future of the polls — which are effectively on hold for now.
The High Court granted the state four weeks to file a detailed counter-affidavit defending the reservation hike and allowed the petitioners two weeks to file their rejoinder. The case will be heard again after six weeks.
BC Leaders Protest, Accuse Govt of Mishandling Quota Issue
The interim order sparked angry demonstrations from BC groups near the High Court premises. Leaders accused the government of rushing through the process without adequate preparation, endangering the community’s quota.
BC Welfare Association President R. Krishnaiah strongly condemned the government’s actions, warning of statewide protests.
“Due to the hasty actions of the government, injustice has been done to the BCs. They have hurt our self-respect. We will show our strength and call for a Telangana Bandh if needed,” he said.
Following the court’s interim stay, several BC ministers rushed to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s residence for a late-night meeting to chalk out a response strategy.
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao reiterated the government’s commitment, saying, “The Congress government stands firm on enhancing BC reservations to 42%. This is a step toward social justice and empowerment, and we are confident in defending it legally.”
Senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao expressed disappointment over the stay. “This is painful. We allowed 10% quota for forward castes based on economic criteria — why should BCs remain backward forever? This fight is for justice,” he said.
Court Questions Breach of 50% Reservation Cap
Petitioners opposing the order argued that the combined reservations for BCs (42%), SCs (15%), and STs (10%) exceed the judicially mandated 50% ceiling.
The High Court questioned whether the state had provided adequate empirical data or “applied its mind” to justify such a large increase across all regions of the state.
Opposition parties seized on the ruling to attack the Congress government.
BRS leader Harish Rao accused the state of “political theatrics,” saying, “We brought a similar order before, and it was struck down. The Congress knew this would not stand in court but wanted to score political points.”
BJP state president Ramchander Rao also blamed the government, noting that the Bill passed by the Assembly is still pending with the Governor, yet the state issued a notification pre-emptively.
With the High Court’s interim stay in place, the Congress government now faces a tough challenge: to present a strong legal defence backed by credible data within the four-week window — or risk indefinite delays to the local body elections and backlash from its core BC voter base.
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