Telangana Bandh Unites Parties for BC Reservations
Massive statewide shutdown demands 42% BC quota.
Political parties across Telangana, including Congress, CPI, CPM, BRS, and BJP, joined forces with BC organizations, employee unions, and student groups for the ‘Telangana Bandh’ on Saturday, demanding 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies. This marks the first time since the state’s formation that such a diverse coalition has rallied together for a single cause.
The bandh began with widespread closures of shops and businesses in the morning, but normalcy gradually returned by afternoon. Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) resumed services later in the day, easing travel for Diwali-bound passengers, though private operators were reported to have overcharged commuters. The protests remained largely peaceful, with only minor incidents reported across the state.
The bandh was sparked by a recent High Court interim order halting Government Orders (GOs) 9, 41, and 42, which had mandated 42% BC reservations in local bodies. The state government’s appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed, intensifying the outrage among BC leaders and organizations. Earlier this year, the Telangana legislature passed two bills to enhance reservations for BCs, SCs, and STs, but these await presidential approval. Despite this, GO 9 was issued to implement the 42% BC quota, only to be stalled by the High Court, halting local body elections.
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Ministers like Ponnam Prabhakar, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, and others joined the protests, with Prabhakar declaring the bandh a resounding success and urging the central government to expedite the pending reservation bills. TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud led sit-ins across Hyderabad, while BJP MP Eatala Rajender, protesting at Jubilee Bus Station, vowed that the BC movement would continue until the quota is secured, drawing parallels to the Telangana statehood struggle. He also accused the Congress of misleading the BC community.
BRS leaders, including MLC K Kavitha and former ministers, staged a Rasta Roko at RTC X Roads, with Kavitha joined by her son Aditya. Students from Hyderabad Central University, JNTU, and Osmania University also took to the streets, amplifying the call for justice. The unprecedented unity and fervor signal a growing momentum for the BC reservation cause in Telangana.
Also Read: Statewide Bandh in Telangana Demands 42% BC Quota in Local Body Elections
