VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat on Saturday, approved the report of the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission on reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections, paving the way for an increase of around 4,000 posts for BCs.
The report of the Dedicated BC Commission is expected to make reservation applicable to more than 1.40 lakh posts across various categories, excluding seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). With reservations in urban and rural local bodies to be implemented on the basis of population, more than 38,000 posts are expected to be available to BCs.
According to sources, around 33,000 posts had gone to BCs in local body elections held during the previous YSRCP government. The increase in the number of districts, wards and divisions is also expected to create additional opportunities for BC candidates in the ensuing local body elections.
The NDA government said the commission’s report was in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines, and kept total reservations within the 50% ceiling.
It maintained that the decision would strengthen the protection of BC reservations while adhering to constitutional provisions governing reservations for SCs and STs.
The Cabinet’s decision is aimed at providing Backward Classes with opportunities to contest elections for a larger number of local body posts.
Coalition to offer over 34% party-level opportunities wherever statutory BC quota lower
The implementation of the report will be subject to the applicable constitutional provisions and legal requirements.
Speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu informed that the NDA government had proposed an average of 28.18%reservation for BCs in local body elections, and promised more than 34% party-level opportunities wherever statutory quotas fall short.
He recalled that former chief minister NT Rama Rao introduced 20% reservation for BCs in 1987, while the Chandrababu Naidu government increased the quota to 34% in 1995 through amendments to the Panchayat Raj Act. He alleged that the YSRCP government reduced it to 24% in 2019, costing BCs around 17,000 posts across various levels.
The NDA government sought to restore the 34% quota but faced legal objections. It subsequently constituted a special commission headed by retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra through GO No. 3 dated February 19, 2026. The commission collected data across districts and social groups, and recommended reservations based on BC population in the relevant local body units. The Cabinet approved its report and forwarded it to the State Election Commission.
Under the proposals, BC reservations stand at 26.73%for gram panchayat ward members, 27.95% for sarpanches, 25.55% for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency members (MPTCs), 24.60% for Mandal Parishad presidents (MPPs), 24.60% for Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency members (ZPTCs) and 23.08% for Zilla Parishad chairpersons.
In urban local bodies, the proposed quota is 32.78% for ward members, 33.02% for municipal chairpersons and 35.29% for mayors. The overall average across local bodies is 28.18%, Atchannaidu said, adding that coalition partners would provide more than 34% party-level opportunities wherever statutory reservations were lower.
Social Welfare Minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said reservations were calculated using population data for individual local units.
ST quota was considered first, followed by SC reservation, before determining the legally permissible BC share. SC and ST reservations were based on the 2011 Census, he said.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said the NDA government at the Centre and the coalition in the State were committed to BC empowerment. He questioned the YSRCP’s decision to reduce reservations, and said the government had followed the Supreme Court guidelines to ensure legally sustainable allocations.
The ministers said the government is ready to conduct local body elections on time, and coalition partners would participate in the process once the State Election Commission issued the poll notification.