Hyderabad, Telangana | September 28, 2025 –
The Telangana High Court made key observations today during a crucial hearing on *Backward Classes (BC) reservations. The matter came up before a **bench headed by Chief Justice Vijay Sen Reddy and Justice Abhinandan Kumar, following a *House Motion Petition filed by petitioner Butengari Madhava Reddy from Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
Senior advocate *Mayur Reddy, arguing on behalf of the petitioner, submitted that extending reservations beyond **50% is unconstitutional. He cited *Supreme Court judgments, which clearly state that reservations in local body elections cannot cross the 50% threshold.
Representing the state government, the Advocate General (AG) appeared virtually and informed the court that the BC Reservation Bill had already been passed by the Assembly. The bench noted that Tamil Nadu has crossed the 50% mark in the past but questioned the state on the timing and process of its recent move.
The court raised a sharp query: “When the Bill is still pending with the Governor for over a month, how did the government issue a G.O. enhancing reservations?” The bench further demanded clarification from the AG on whether the government was ready to hold back the election process for 10 days if it wanted the court not to interfere.
The judges observed, “Once an election notification is issued, courts cannot intervene. Since petitions were filed before the notification, we can examine them.” The court then adjourned the matter to October 8 and issued formal notices to the Telangana Government.
The controversy began after the state issued a *G.O. on September 26, increasing BC reservations to *42%. The move was challenged immediately by petitioner Madhava Reddy, who had earlier filed a petition just three days prior on similar grounds. His first plea was dismissed as it was based solely on media reports, but the fresh G.O. prompted him to approach the High Court again.
This development has now set the stage for a significant constitutional debate, with the High Court closely scrutinizing whether the Telangana Government can legally exceed the *reservation ceiling limit. The outcome could have a far-reaching impact on *local body elections and BC welfare policies in the state.