As anticipated, the Telangana High Court has cleared the decks for the conduct of local body elections by refusing to stay — at least for now — Government Orders (GO) 9 and 41 issued by the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government enhancing reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) to 42 per cent in panchayats and municipalities. The court showed little inclination to restrain the State Election Commission (SEC) from going ahead with the poll process and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday afternoon. With this, the SEC is set to issue the election notification and begin accepting nominations from Thursday morning.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court too dismissed a petition challenging the Telangana government’s move to increase BC reservations, clearing the way for the state to proceed with its decision that takes the total reservations in local bodies to 67 per cent.
While the decision has predictably sparked a political slugfest, it must be noted that the Revanth Reddy government’s move is well within its constitutional and democratic mandate. Articles 243D(6) and 243T(6) of the Constitution clearly empower a state legislature to make provisions for the reservation of seats in any panchayat or municipality in favour of backward classes. These Articles, inserted through the 73rd and 74th Amendments, were designed to strengthen grassroots representation for historically underrepresented groups.
The rationale for enhanced BC representation in Telangana is rooted in the state’s demographic realities. Backward Classes constitute nearly 52 per cent of the state’s population, yet their representation in local governance structures has remained disproportionately low. In several districts, BCs form the backbone of the rural economy — from agriculture to small trade and artisan work — but continue to face systemic exclusion from decision-making bodies. The Revanth Reddy government’s attempt to correct this imbalance through a 42 per cent quota in local bodies thus aligns with the principles of social justice and inclusive democracy, central to the Directive Principles of State Policy under Articles 38 and 46.
Critics, particularly from the state BJP, have accused the Congress government of “playing politics with reservations” and even objected to Revanth Reddy’s statement that the Center’s clearance was required before finalizing the local body poll schedule. However, the constitutional scheme does not prevent a state from determining the quantum of reservation within its jurisdiction, provided the process follows the three-step test laid down by the Supreme Court in the K. Krishna Murthy vs. Union of India (2010) case — namely, identification of backwardness through empirical data, proportionate representation, and ensuring administrative efficiency.
The Telangana government has justified its move on the basis of extensive data collected by the Backward Classes Commission, which studied representation patterns across districts. The GO notes that the enhancement was made after “due consideration of population data and administrative efficiency.” Moreover, the 67 per cent overall reservation — though higher than the conventional 50 per cent ceiling — pertains only to local bodies, not to employment or education, and therefore enjoys flexibility under Article 243D’s enabling clause.
Courts have in the past upheld higher reservations in local self-governance institutions if supported by empirical evidence. For instance, in Chebrolu Leela Prasad Rao vs. State of A.P. (2020), the Supreme Court reiterated that while reservations cannot be mechanical, states have leeway in tailoring representation to local social realities. Telangana’s approach fits that constitutional spirit.
In the larger political context, the judicial clearance comes as a significant boost to the Revanth Reddy government, which had been under attack for delaying the local body polls. The government’s argument — that it sought to ensure fair BC representation before conducting elections — now stands vindicated. Politically, this move could consolidate the Congress’s rural BC vote base, traditionally fragmented among regional parties, and project Revanth Reddy as a leader willing to assert social justice within constitutional bounds.
At a time when debates over caste, equity, and representation dominate national politics, Telangana’s decision reinforces the democratic ethos of giving every community a voice in governance. Far from being a populist gamble, it represents an assertion of state autonomy and social justice, both integral to the federal spirit of the Indian Constitution.
