Hyderabad: In a significant push to increase political representation for Backward Classes (BCs), the Telangana cabinet has greenlit an ordinance amending the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018—opening the door to exceed the 50% reservation ceiling in rural local bodies under “exceptional circumstances.”
The push for a 42% quota for Backward Classes (BCs) comes on the heels of a state caste survey that pegged their population at 56.36%. Combined with Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), these groups represent a hefty 84% of Telangana’s population—a figure the state government says can no longer be ignored in local governance.
Under the current law, reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs are capped at 50%. The proposed amendment, however, introduces a provision to sidestep that ceiling in cases of pronounced geographic, socio-economic, or political disadvantage. If the ordinance goes through, it will legally arm the state with the ability to push quotas past the existing limit—without running afoul of constitutional restrictions.
A special commission will be empowered to oversee the process—using existing socio-economic and survey data to formally establish the 42% figure for BCs. The commission’s recommendations will then be routed through the Panchayat Raj department for execution.
The groundwork for this shift was laid earlier, with both houses of the state legislature passing a resolution in favor of the 42% BC quota. That bill was approved by the Governor and sent to the Centre for review. But with the High Court recently ordering that local body elections wrap up by September 30, the state has fast-tracked the ordinance to ensure quota-based seat allocation is ready in time.
Once enacted, the ordinance will serve as the legal basis for reshaping reservations and issuing election notifications for rural bodies, effectively rewriting the rules of local political representation in Telangana.
స్థానిక సంస్థల ఎన్నికల్లో బీసీలకు 42 శాతం రిజర్వేషన్లు అమలు చేయాలని ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ @revanth_anumula గారి అధ్యక్షతన జరిగిన మంత్రిమండలి సమావేశం తీర్మానించింది. ఇందుకు సంబంధించి ఆర్డినెన్స్ను జారీ చేయాలని ప్రభుత్వం నిర్ణయించింది.
❇️స్థానిక సంస్థలకు రిజర్వేషన్లు ఖరారు చేయాలన్న… pic.twitter.com/GaO0hh72S2
— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) July 10, 2025
