Hyderabad: As the new cabinet sub-committee on local elections began its first meeting on Sunday, the ruling Congress signaled its members to get ready for upcoming polls. Party insiders believe that the election notification could be announced at any moment.
Sources within the party revealed that Congress intends to apply a 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BC) internally, as achieving this through legislation seems unlikely right now. A party spokesperson mentioned that since the High Court imposed a deadline for the elections, further delays are unlikely. The cabinet is expected to support the elections once the ministers return from Bihar after Rahul’s visit. There’s a strong belief that an election announcement could occur anytime.
On Sunday evening, the Ministers’ Committee met at Pragathi Bhavan to discuss the 42% reservation for Backward Classes in local elections. They reviewed data from various surveys presented in the State Legislative Assembly. A bill for the 42% OBC reservation was introduced, passed unanimously, and sent to the Governor.
The Governor forwarded the bill to the President of India, where it has been pending for five months. Meanwhile, the High Court ordered that local body elections should be held by September 30. The committee consulted Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy to ensure the reservation doesn’t lead to legal issues. They plan to seek advice from Justice Sudarshan Reddy and legal experts in Delhi on Monday.
The meeting included Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Duddilla Sridhar Babu. Committee member Minister Ponnam Prabhakar discussed his views with Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy over the phone.
