The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh will allocate 34 per cent of its tickets to candidates from the Backward Classes (BCs) in the upcoming local body elections, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced on Friday. The announcement came after the Supreme Court dismissed the state government's petition challenging an Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling that struck down the 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local body polls. Naidu said the ruling alliance would field more than 34 per cent BC candidates, reiterating its commitment to political representation for the community.

Naidu made the announcement while addressing a public meeting at Narsingolu in Prakasam district, where he distributed pattadar passbooks to farmers under the government's ‘Mee Bhumi-Mee Hakku’ programme. The Chief Minister said the NDA would ensure that BC candidates received at least 34 per cent of the tickets, even after the court ruling against the enhanced reservation. He also highlighted the role of the Backward Classes in the Telugu Desam Party's political journey, claiming that the community had supported the party for 45 years.

The reservation dispute intensified after the Andhra Pradesh High Court, on October 1, struck down two government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local body elections. The court held that the quota breached the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations, in line with Supreme Court guidelines. Naidu had announced the enhanced quota on August 18, proposing 34 per cent reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban local bodies. The Supreme Court's dismissal of the state government's challenge leaves the High Court ruling in place.

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The Chief Minister said his government had sought to increase BC representation after earlier policies had reduced the quota. Referring to former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, Naidu said the TDP had introduced 24 per cent reservation for BCs in local bodies, which he later increased to 34 per cent. He alleged that the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government had brought the quota back to 24 per cent and accused the opposition party of obstructing the latest attempt to raise it through legal action. These remarks reflected the political disagreement surrounding the reservation policy.

During the event, Naidu also discussed the distribution of pattadar passbooks, which document land ownership and related details. He said the government had distributed 40.58 lakh passbooks and provided more than four lakh passbooks to farmers across 790 villages in October. According to the Chief Minister, the documents were being issued with a royal seal and were intended to ensure accurate land records. He also criticised the previous government over land security and administrative issues, claiming that his coalition was addressing those problems while pursuing development initiatives across the state.

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