HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted an interim stay on GO No. 9, BC Welfare (B) Department, dated September 26, 2025, which had enhanced reservation for Backward Classes in rural and urban local bodies to 42%.
A Division Bench, while allowing all implead petitions, directed the State Government to file its counters within four weeks, following which petitioners may submit their replies. With this development, the local body election process has come to a halt. The court clarified that a detailed order with reasons will be delivered later.
Immediately after the High Court stayed GO 9, which provides 42 per cent reservations to BCs in local body elections, Backward Classes leaders erupted in anger and launched a protest in front of the court. They raised slogans such as “CM Down Down.” They said the government had “stopped food at their mouth” (Noti vadda Annam Muddanu Aaparu).
The local body election process, which began on Thursday morning for the first phase across Telangana, came to a halt within hours following the High Court’s stay on the GO.
BC leader and MP R Krishnaiah said they would intensify the agitation to demand 42 per cent reservations for BCs, warning of a movement similar to the Mandal Commission agitation. He urged the State government to clarify its stand by evening.
BRS slams Congress over ‘42% BC reservation drama’
Meanwhile, the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of enacting a “political drama” over the issue of 42 per cent reservations for BCs in local body elections.
BRS leader and former Minister T Harish Rao posted on X: despite being in power at the Centre for over 55 years, the Congress had “never sincerely fought” for BC reservations. “If the Congress truly believes in social justice, let its national leaders fight for 42 per cent BC reservations in Delhi, Harish Rao demanded and added that the BRS is always ready to join such a genuine struggle.
He alleged that the Congress, which “deceived BCs with false promises” during the previous elections to come to power, was now trying to derive a similar political mileage in the ongoing local body election process. “Those conspiracies have been exposed,” he claimed.
Harish Rao also criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, saying that instead of fighting in Delhi for BC reservations, he was “enacting street-level dramas” in Telangana.
“Revanth Reddy has never shown genuine intent to secure 42 per cent reservations for BCs. As per the Kamareddy Declaration, he should have pursued legal backing for the quota by taking up the issue with the Centre, but he conveniently sidestepped it,” he alleged.
He accused the Congress government of issuing a Government Order (GO) merely for name sake and of deliberately delaying the local body elections.
“Revanth Reddy should stop his theatrics. If he and his party truly care for BCs, they must fight in Delhi, push for a law in Parliament, and ensure the provision is included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution,” Harish Rao said.
He called upon all political parties to unite for the cause of 42 per cent BC reservations. “The BRS will always stand by BCs and raise its voice against the Centre until justice is done,” he asserted.
BRS leader and former Minister V Srinivas Goud alleged that the Congress was behind the court cases filed against BC reservations in the High Court and a script was prepared at Gandhi Bhavan, headquarters of State Congress.
BRS leader Dasoju Sravan accused the Congress of deceiving BCs and failing to implement the Kamareddy Declaration.
'Govt would announce future course of action'
BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the government would announce the future course of action, both legally and procedurally, after receiving a copy of the High Court’s interim order.
He said that effective arguments were presented on behalf of the government in the HC.
The government conducted a caste survey, constituted a dedicated commission and a sub-committee, obtained the approval of the Cabinet, adopted a Bill in the Legislative Assembly, and sent it to the Governor, the Minister said. He recalled that the government also amended the Panchayat Raj Act in 2018.
Prabhakar said that due to the delay in holding local body elections, the state has not been receiving the funds that should come from the Central government. He said that they did not expect the High Court to issue a stay on reservations. The government remains fully committed to providing 42 percent reservations for BCs, he averred.
