Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth criticized former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for not supporting the state in granting a 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BC) in the upcoming local elections.
During the Assembly debate on the BC quota bill, Revanth accused BRS Chief KCR of opposing BC empowerment and blocking the bill. He praised BRS Legislator G Kamalakar for backing the bill but noted that the party leadership wasn’t supportive. Revanth urged Kamalakar to resist pressure and not mislead weaker sections.
Revanth held KCR accountable for not raising the BC quota, citing the 2018 Panchayat Raj Act under BRS, which limits the quota to 50%. He questioned BRS’s absence at a major protest in New Delhi demanding the union government approve pending BC quota bills, suggesting a lack of sincerity.
The CM warned that people have already rejected BRS and that continued political games could lead to further losses. He accused the opposition of influencing the Governor to delay the BC quota ordinance, which is now awaiting the President’s approval. With no approval from the center, the government plans to introduce a bill to remove the 50% reservation cap.
Revanth also mentioned that the state reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi five times without a positive response.
Discussing efforts to increase the BC quota, Revanth said the government set up the Dedication Commission following High Court orders. A petition by Rajya Sabha member R. Krishnaiah led to a caste survey through this commission to secure a 42% reservation for weaker sections.
Referring to Kamalakar’s remarks about challenges faced by Rajasthan and Bihar, Revanth noted that the Telangana government sent a team to study other states’ policies. The government established the Dedication Commission after reviewing legal issues, completing the process from February 4, 2024, to February 4, 2025.
The BC quota received cabinet approval before a resolution was adopted in the Assembly. Two bills proposing a 42% quota in education, empowerment, and local bodies were sent to the Governor and are pending with the President for five months. Some forces challenging local elections led to a High Court order to conduct the election by September 30.
