With courts striking down enhanced BC quota and directing the state to announce elections by Nov 24, the Telangana Cabinet is set to take a final call on local body polls under the 50% reservation cap.

The Telangana Cabinet is expected to make a crucial decision on Monday regarding the long-delayed local body elections, following a High Court directive that the state must announce the poll schedule by November 24. With both the Supreme Court and High Court striking down the government order that raised Backward Class (BC) reservation to 42%, the elections will have to be conducted within the 50% overall reservation limit.

While the enhanced quota has been legally blocked, the ruling Congress is considering allotting 42% of its party tickets to BC candidates instead. BC groups, however, insist elections must be held only after the increased reservation is formally restored.

After Congress won the Jubilee Hills bypoll, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the Cabinet would take up the matter, while Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao has asked the Panchayat Raj department to prepare the necessary framework.

The dispute stems from the High Court’s October 9 stay on the government order that pushed total reservation to 67%, breaching the Supreme Court’s 50% ceiling. The State Election Commission had already issued a five-phase election schedule but paused it after the court struck down the enhanced quota.

Two amendment Bills passed on August 31 to raise BC reservation in local bodies still await the Governor’s approval, further complicating the timeline. The Congress camp is under pressure, as the lack of elected bodies has stalled access to crucial Central funds, impacting rural governance.

Analysis:The Cabinet’s decision will carry significant political weight. For Congress, delivering on its promise of expanding BC representation while adhering to court directives is a delicate balancing act. A prolonged delay could deepen administrative challenges in rural Telangana, making the upcoming decision both politically sensitive and practically urgent.