Hyderabad: The ordinance providing 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections has been sent by Governor Jishnu Dev Verma to the Union Home Ministry for legal vetting.
The bill, passed by the Telangana State Assembly, had been pending with the Governor for three weeks. After consultations with the Advocate General and senior legal experts, Verma referred the matter to the Centre, citing concerns about the constitutional validity of exceeding the 50% reservation cap set by the Supreme Court.
According to sources, while the Constitution does give States some discretion over reservation percentages in Panchayat elections, the Governor sought formal legal advice to confirm if the ordinance aligned with constitutional guidelines.
The Governor reportedly raised multiple queries on the bill’s compliance with prior court rulings. Legal experts clarified these issues before it was forwarded to the Union Home Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court has already directed the State to complete local body elections by September 30. The Congress government is pushing for the bill’s swift approval to implement the enhanced quota in the upcoming polls.
