Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court paused a decision after hearing heated debates on the government’s plan to offer 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs). The court will continue the discussion on Thursday afternoon.
Eminent lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the state. He engaged in intense discussions with the judges, emphasizing the importance of increasing the BC quota before upcoming local elections. All BC ministers from the state attended the session.
The court did not halt the election process, allowing the State Election Commission (SEC) to issue the official election notice on Thursday. Singhvi pointed out that the election schedule was already set, and courts typically avoid interference once elections start. He showed the election notification to the court and argued against suspending it at this stage.
Singhvi explained that the BC reservation bill followed a thorough study, and the government issued GO (No 9) accordingly. He requested the court to consider both sides before making a decision on the GO. Singhvi assured the court of full submissions, leading to the hearing’s adjournment until Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, ministers Ponnam Prabhkar, V Srihari, and Konda Sureka, along with government whips, consulted Advocate General Sudhar Shan Reddy. They discussed the government’s preparedness to provide all necessary data supporting the quota increase.
The BC welfare minister, speaking with TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, expressed confidence in the government’s position. He noted that the court did not challenge the election notification, ensuring that MPTC, ZPTC, and Gram Panchayat elections would proceed as scheduled by the commission.
