The Congress-led Telangana government is gearing up to approach the Supreme Court to contest a High Court interim stay on a key order providing 42% reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections, a move that challenges the longstanding 50% quota ceiling established by the apex court. Issued on September 26, 2025, the Government Order (GO) fulfilled a pre-election promise made by the Congress ahead of the 2023 assembly polls, aiming to enhance representation for OBCs in panchayats and municipalities.

However, on October 9, the Telangana High Court halted its implementation, prompting the State Election Commission to suspend poll notifications issued on September 29, stalling rural local body elections indefinitely.

The High Court's division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin, ruled that the 42% BC quota breaches the 50% upper limit for reservations in local bodies, as mandated by Supreme Court precedents. The court invoked the "triple test" framework for OBC reservations, which requires states to establish a dedicated commission for data collection, determine quota proportions based on empirical evidence, and ensure the total reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs does not exceed 50%.

Directing the Election Commission to allocate seats proportionately as open category and proceed with elections, the HC granted the state four weeks to file a counter-affidavit, with petitioners given two weeks thereafter to respond if needed.

Undeterred, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy convened a strategy session on October 10 with cabinet colleagues, AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi to chart the path forward. Sources within the Congress, as reported by PTI, indicate the government's resolve to enforce the GO through an apex court appeal, viewing the HC's stay as an obstacle to social justice. The GO draws from two Bills passed by the state legislature earlier in 2025, seeking to raise BC reservations to 42% across education, employment, and local bodies—legislation currently pending Presidential assent.

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The controversy echoes Reddy's August 6 protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where he accused the BJP-led Centre of delaying assent to the Bills as part of an "anti-OBC" agenda. As Telangana navigates this legal showdown, the case could reignite national debates on reservation limits, potentially reshaping OBC empowerment in local governance and testing the balance between electoral commitments and constitutional boundaries.

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