Telangana High Court sets Thursday hearing on BC Quota in local body polls

Hyderabad: The Telangana government's decision to grant 42% reservation for Other Backward Classes in local body elections is being challenged in the High Court for allegedly exceeding the Supreme Court's 50% reservation cap. The Telangana High Court Chief Justice, Aparesh Kumar Singh, and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin have scheduled the next hearing for Thursday at 2:15 p.m.

The dispute stems from Government Order No. 9, issued on September 26, 2025, along with Orders No. 41 and 42, which mandate a 42% quota for Backward Classes in Panchayat Raj institutions. Petitioner Appammagari Ram Reddy argues that, when combined with existing reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the total surpasses the Supreme Court's 50% limit.

The Supreme Court's 'Triple Test' at the Heart of the Dispute

The legal debate centers on the Supreme Court's 'Triple Test,' reaffirmed in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali case. This test requires states to establish a commission for an empirical inquiry into backwardness, determine reservation proportions based on its recommendations, and ensure that the total reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs do not exceed 50% of the seats.

Senior Advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing the state, argued that Telangana has fully met the first two requirements of the test. He cited comprehensive data collection and the establishment of an expert commission, including a retired Supreme Court judge, to justify the reservation level.

State's Defense: Justifying the Breach of the 50% Cap

Singhvi argued that the 50% cap, though generally upheld, is not absolute. He maintained that if a state can demonstrate through empirical study that the OBC population and backwardness justify it, exceeding the cap is constitutionally allowed.

Singhvi urged the court to interpret the triple test in line with previous constitutional bench judgments and to avoid a rigid application of it. The Telangana High Court Chief Justice, Aparesh Kumar Singh, and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, who heard the arguments throughout the day, have scheduled the next hearing for Thursday at 2:15 p.m. and request that the same arguments not be repeated.