Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has clarified that local body elections can proceed as long as the reservation quota does not exceed 50%. The detailed court orders, released late Thursday night, followed its earlier stay on the implementation of the enhanced 42% BC reservations.
The court ruled that elections for expired local bodies should be conducted under the previous system, ensuring that the overall reservation cap remains within constitutional limits. It also directed the government to treat the additional 17% seats (earmarked under the new policy) as open category seats in the upcoming polls.
Following the judgment, the state government is expected to deliberate on the next course of action in the upcoming cabinet meeting. The verdict is seen as a crucial development, paving the way for the ZPTC and MPTC elections while maintaining compliance with the Supreme Court’s 50% reservation ceiling.
