The Telangana Congress Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is scheduled to meet on August 23 to finalise the party's strategy for implementing a 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs). The party is under pressure to decide on its course of action for the upcoming local body elections, which must be held by the end of September as per a directive from the Telangana High Court.
With the deadline approaching, the Congress is scrambling to find a solution, especially since the Centre has refused to clear the BC quota bills pending before it. These bills are designed to increase reservations to 42 pc in local bodies, as well as in education and employment for BCs.
Adding to the complication, the Telangana Governor has not yet given his assent to an ordinance sent by the state government. The ordinance seeks to remove a section of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act that limits BC reservations in local body polls to 23 pc. The government’s plan was to remove this section and then set the quota at 42 pc. However, the Governor has kept the ordinance on hold, creating a significant roadblock.
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Meanwhile, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B Mahesh Kumar Goud is reportedly insisting that the government should only conduct the local body elections after the 42 pc reservation for BCs is legally mandatory. He believes the government should not seek alternatives but should stick to its original plan of ensuring statutory reservations.
According to party sources, Kumar has strongly advocated for the statutory 42 pc quota and has urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to continue pressuring the Centre for the bill’s clearance. He has also advised the government to seek an extension from the High Court so that elections can be held only after the quota is legally mandated. The TPCC President believes that if the party opts for an alternative, such as simply allotting 42 pc of party tickets to BCs, it will be perceived as a dilution of its promise and a betrayal of the Kamareddy Declaration.
However, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has indicated that if all other options fail, the government might have to proceed with the existing 23 pc quota. Alternatively, he said the party might allot 42 pc of Congress tickets to BCs, a move that could attract sharp criticism.
BC organisations, however, remain sceptical of the intentions of all political parties. Dasu Suresh, the founding president of the BC Rajyadhikara Samiti, suggested that much of the political posturing is more for party gain than genuine empowerment of BCs. He criticised the BJP for not clearing the bills, alleging they do not want the credit to go to the Congress.
The Telangana BJP, for its part, maintains that the bills will not be cleared unless the Congress removes the 10 pc reservation for Muslims and allocates the entire 42 pc exclusively to BCs. Meanwhile, the BRS has remained on the fence, publicly supporting the quota while accusing both the Congress and the BJP of lacking sincerity.
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