Telangana Congress flags BC quota Bills pending with Governor

Telangana Congress leaders raised concerns over pending BC quota Bills and Mohammad Azharuddin’s MLC nomination awaiting Governor Jishnu Dev Varma’s approval. The Supreme Court clarified Governors cannot be forced on timelines, though indefinite delays may face limited judicial scrutiny

Hyderabad: As the powers of governors over State Bills came under focus following Thursday’s Supreme Court verdict on Presidential reference, the ruling Congress leaders in Telangana took exception to the State government’s other proposals, including BC quota Bill, allegedly pending with Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.

Fulfilling an election promise, the Congress government on September 26 issued an order to provide 42 per cent reservation to BCs in local bodies.

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The GO follows two Bills passed by the State Legislature earlier this year to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies.

The Bills were forwarded to the Governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on August 6 led a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding Presidential assent for the BC reservation Bills and alleged that the BJP-led central government was stalling them as it was “anti-OBC”.

The ruling Congress had promised before the 2023 Assembly polls to provide 42 per cent reservation to the BCs.

Another government proposal pending with the Governor is the nomination of former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota in August last week.

However, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to clear the appointment.

Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister recently pending the Governor’s clearance of his nomination as MLC.

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the court cannot impose any timelines on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills passed by state assemblies but at the same time said Governors do not have ‘unfettered’ powers to sit on the Bills for ‘perpetuity’.

In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai also held that “indefinite delay” by the Governors will be open to “limited judicial scrutiny” and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the apex court by using its plenary power under Article 142.