Hyderabad: On Monday, the Supreme Court decided not to consider a petition against the Telangana government’s decision to give 42% reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) in upcoming local elections. The court suggested the petitioner go to the High Court for help, as similar issues are already being reviewed there.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta expressed reluctance to hear the case filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, which is meant to protect fundamental rights. The petitioner’s lawyer then withdrew the plea but was given permission to approach the Telangana High Court.
The petitioner opposed a Government Order (GO) from September 26, 2025, which increased the total reservation in local bodies to 67% by granting a 42% quota to BCs. The petition argued this GO violated the 50% cap on reservations previously set by the court. The bench noted that the petitioner couldn’t use Article 32 directly when similar cases were already pending in the Telangana High Court.
When the petitioner’s lawyer mentioned past instances where the Supreme Court had accepted similar cases, Justice Vikram Nath responded, “In similar circumstances, we have also dismissed.”
