Telangana Cabinet set to decide local body polls Monday.
The state government must hold local body elections while ensuring total reservations do not exceed the 50 percent constitutional cap.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet is expected to take a crucial call on Monday regarding the long-pending local body elections, following the High Court’s directive last week instructing the state government to release the poll schedule by November 24. With the deadline approaching, all eyes are now on the Cabinet meeting, which will determine how the government navigates the legal and political complexities surrounding the issue.
The biggest hurdle before the government is the reservation cap. Both the Supreme Court and the High Court have struck down the government order that granted 42 percent reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies. As a result, the state must now conduct elections while staying within the constitutionally mandated ceiling of 50 percent total reservation. This puts the government in a tough spot, especially since BC organisations across the state are demanding that polls be held only after the 42 percent quota is legally approved.
Despite the legal setback, the ruling Congress appears inclined to accommodate BCs politically. Party leaders are reportedly considering the option of allocating 42 percent of the election tickets—even if not official reservation—to BC candidates during the upcoming local body polls. This could help the party fulfil its election promise while staying within legal boundaries.
The courts, while striking down the enhanced BC reservation, made it clear that the government is free to conduct elections without waiting for further legal approvals. However, BC groups insist that the government must fight harder to restore the 42 percent quota before going ahead with the polls. Their pressure has intensified ahead of the Cabinet meeting, making it a politically delicate decision for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
After the Congress won the recent by-election in the Jubilee Hills constituency, the Chief Minister stated that the Cabinet would take the final call after detailed discussions. With the local body elections carrying major administrative and political significance, the decision cannot be delayed further.
Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao has already instructed the Panchayat Raj department to prepare a comprehensive note outlining the necessary steps for conducting the elections under the current legal framework. This includes revised ward-wise reservation lists, logistical arrangements, and coordination with the State Election Commission (SEC).
The legal uncertainty began months earlier. On October 9, the High Court stayed the government order that provided 42 percent reservation to BCs. The state immediately approached the Supreme Court to overturn the stay, but the apex court refused to interfere, leaving the High Court’s order intact. As a result, the SEC, which had already issued a five-phase schedule for rural local body elections, was forced to suspend the process until clarity emerged.
The stakes are high for the Congress government. Local body polls are not just routine elections—they determine the flow of Central funds to panchayats and municipalities. Due to the delay in conducting elections, local bodies in Telangana are already facing a cash crunch, hindering development activities and affecting basic services in rural areas. The state government has repeatedly warned that governance at the grassroots could be severely affected if elections are delayed further.
The origins of the reservation controversy trace back to June 25, when the Telangana High Court ordered the government to complete the local body elections within three months, setting a deadline of September 30. To meet this mandate, the government issued a fresh order on September 26 enhancing BC reservation to 42 percent. However, this was done even as two key Bills—the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025—were still awaiting approval from the Governor. These Bills were specifically aimed at removing the 50 percent total reservation cap to allow the higher BC quota.
Ever since the Congress came to power in 2023, the issue of BC reservation has dominated political discussions in the state. The promise to enhance BC reservation in education, jobs, and local bodies was one of the party’s biggest campaign commitments, based on findings from the caste survey. The government’s attempt to fulfil that promise has now turned into a legal battle with far-reaching political consequences.
As the Cabinet meets on Monday, the decision will likely set the tone not only for the upcoming local body polls but for the Congress government’s relationship with BC groups and its political standing across Telangana. The coming days will be crucial as the government balances legal constraints, political commitments, and administrative urgency.