Andhra Pradesh to challenge court decision against 34% BC quota

The Andhra Pradesh government will move the Supreme Court against a High Court decision striking down orders that provided increased reservation for Backward Classes in local-body elections, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday. The orders offered 34% reservation for BCs in rural local bodies and 33⅓% in urban local bodies.

Naidu said the YSR Congress Party had challenged the government’s decision in the High Court, arguing that reservations should not exceed 50%. The Chief Minister said the High Court subsequently struck down the orders. He described the legal fight as unfinished and said his government would continue its effort to restore the higher quota through an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Naidu said the State Cabinet had approved the reservation measures on August 18. He had previously warned that local bodies could lose ₹12,150 crore in Central funds if elections were not held by October. Addressing a programme in Repalle in Bapatla district, he said former Chief Minister N.T.

Rama Rao had given political recognition to BCs and that he had introduced a 34% quota in local bodies in 1995. Naidu alleged that the previous YSRCP government had reduced the quota to 24%, causing 16,800 people to lose opportunities to hold elected posts. He said restoring the higher reservation was a promise in the BC Declaration issued by the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena Party before the 2024 elections.

He said the coalition government wanted to improve the economic, social and political position of BC communities and expand their participation in local leadership. The supplied material does not include a response from the YSRCP to his claims.