Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has been understood to have forwarded an ordinance, meant to push through 42 per cent reservation for backward classes in local body elections, to the President, official sources informed on Friday.
The Governor is said to have forwarded the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) ordinance for Presidential assent.
The government of Congress had promulgated the ordinance in July, making changes to the Panchayat Raj Act by including Section 285A of the Act limiting total reservations for SCs, STs and BCs in local bodies to 50 per cent.
The Congress government had made the assurance prior to the 2023 assembly elections of raising the quota for BCs to 42 per cent from 23 per cent in local bodies, along with other concessions.
The Governor forwarding the ordinance to the President gains prominence as the High Court had ordered the state government and the State Election Commission to hold elections to the Gram Panchayats and announce results by September 30.
Also read: BRS MLAs case: SC gives 3-month deadline to T'gana Speaker
The action of the President would determine whether the state government can offer 42 per cent reservation to BCs in the local body elections.
Also, two bills approved by the assembly to raise the reservation for Backward Classes to 42 per cent in education, employment and local body posts are waiting for Presidential assent.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, his cabinet members and Congress party rulers would stage a dharna on August 6 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, seeking Presidential assent for BC quota bills approved by the legislature.
The CM and other Congress leaders, who will be in Delhi between August 5 to 7, also intend to meet President Droupadi Murmu on August 7.
Follow us
