Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday, November 28 refused to stay the local body elections in the state despite challenges to 42 percent backward class reservation.
Challenging the state government’s order number 46, which provides reservations to BCs, SCs and STs within the 50 per cent ceiling, a few BC organisations, including Madiwala Machadeva Rajakula Sangham and Telangana Pradesh Gangaputra Sangham filed separate petitions in the court appealing that the elections should be kept on hold.
After hearing the petition, the bench comprising chief justice Apresh Kumar and Justice GM Mohiuddin refused to issue stay orders at this stage stating that the election notification was already issued. The bench further told the petitioners that court cannot interfere after the election notification has been issued.
According to reports, the court further asked whether the petitioners were seeking a stay on the local body polls since the sub-categories reservations were not declared by the government.
However, the High Court has directed the Telangana government to file a counter on the sub category reservations within six weeks. The next hearing has been scheduled after eight weeks.
GO 46
The Telangana government on November 22, issued government order number 46, finalising the reservation norms ahead of local body elections.
The GO states that reservation shouldn’t exceed 50 per cent. A special committee on reservation will be set up as per the orders of the Supreme Court. The Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey (SEEPC) has issued guidelines based on 2024 population data for reservation allocation.
According to GO 46, the ST-SC-BC-Women reservations should be implemented on a rotation basis. It states that the 2011 Census and SEEPC data should be used for sarpanch reservation. Wards or villages reserved in previous elections should not be reserved again for the same category.
In 100 per cent Scheduled Tribe (ST) villages, all wards and Sarpanch posts should be reserved for STs only. ST reservations should be finalized first and then SC to BC allocation should be made. Women’s reservation should be calculated separately in all categories and implemented.
If the number of gram panchayats or wards is less, First women’s priority should be followed and then lottery method should be followed.
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