The Telangana government has issued a historic order providing 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections, delivering on a key promise of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s Congress government.
The order, released on Friday, invokes Articles 40, 243D(6), and 243T(6) of the Constitution and highlights the urgent need to empower BC communities. The government said the decision is based on empirical data, legislative approval, and judicial recognition of the backwardness faced by these communities.
This announcement follows the Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025, passed by the Telangana Assembly and Council in March and now awaiting Presidential assent. The move also comes days before the September 30 deadline set by the Telangana High Court for conducting local body polls.
A dedicated BC Commission, led by retired IAS officer B Venkateshwara Rao, had earlier recommended a minimum 42% quota after an extensive study of the social, political, and economic status of BCs. Supporting evidence came from the SEEEP survey, which revealed that 56.33% of Telangana’s population belongs to Backward Classes.
With this order, the Congress government aims to fulfill its Kamareddy Declaration and secure wider political participation for BC communities. Opposition parties, including the BRS and BJP, had criticized the delay, but the ruling party says it has “exhausted all means” to provide BC representation before the polls.
This decision marks a significant step toward inclusive governance and social justice in Telangana’s rural and urban political landscape.
