Apprehension over 42 percent reservations to BCs in Telangana continues

Like many other promises, apprehensions continue over the Congress government’s assurance to extend 42 percent reservations to Backward Classes in the local body elections, apart from in the conduct itself of the elections

Hyderabad: Like many other promises, apprehensions continue over the Congress government’s assurance to extend 42 percent reservations to Backward Classes in the local body elections, apart from in the conduct itself of the elections.

All these doubts persist among BC communities in the wake of the union Government announcing its decision to conduct caste enumeration as part of census. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during a press conference on Thursday had also admitted that the union government’s census would prevail over the State census. He had claimed that as there was no data earlier, the Telangana caste survey (Socio, Economical, Education, Employment, Political and Caste survey) would prevail. Now that the union government decided to conduct the exercise, it would be the Centre’s figures that would count, he said, apart from skipping a question on the impact of the union government’s decision on extending reservations.

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Though the State government had passed the Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies Bill 2025 in the Assembly on March 17, legal protection for the bill is coming under the scanner as it needs to be approved in the Parliament. With the union government deciding to conduct the caste enumeration, it is unclear whether it would approve the Bill passed by the Telangana government. Even if the union government conducts the caste enumeration, it would take considerable time to complete the task and conduct of local body elections in the State cannot be delayed until then.

As it is, the delay in conducting the panchayat and municipalities and municipal corporation elections has deprived the local bodies of union government funds. Any further delay would further impact the cash-starved local bodies.

Political reservations

Amidst all these apprehensions, there are speculations in Gandhi Bhavan that the Congress could declare sanction of 42 percent tickets to BCs in the local body elections. Likewise, an appeal might be made to other political parties to follow suit and prove their commitment towards the BC reservation cause.

Kamareddy BC Declaration promises

But the Congress party’s assurance to extend 42 percent reservations to BCs was not limited to the local body elections. As per the Kamareddy BC Declaration, the Congress had assured to provide sub categorization in BC reservations in local bodies. Similarly, it had promised to extend 42 percent reservation for BCs in government civil construction and maintenance contracts.

Regarding funding, the Congress had assured to give statutory status to Mahatma Jyotibha Phule BC Sub-Plan in the first assembly session. It had also promised to spend Rs.20,000 crore a year towards BC welfare.

Creation of an exclusive MBC Welfare Ministry was also promised to oversee the development of MBC castes. BC youth were also assured to be extended Rs.10 lakh interest-free and collateral-free loans for establishing small businesses, just to mention a few promises made under the BC Declaration.