CM Revanth accuses Centre of stalling 42% BC quota, says BRS creating legislative hurdles
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday accused the Central government of stalling two key reservation bills that proposed 42 percent quota for Backward Classes in education, employment, and local bodies. He said the Telangana Legislative Assembly had passed both bills, sent them to the Governor, and the Governor forwarded them to the President, where they have remained pending for nearly five months.
Speaking during the debate on the Panchayat Raj amendment bill, Revanth Reddy said the Congress government was fulfilling its commitment to social justice. However, he alleged that the BJP-led Centre and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were creating political and institutional hurdles. He reminded the House that, under High Court orders, the state must finalise reservation quotas before the local body elections due on September 30.
The Chief Minister criticised the limits set by the Panchayat Raj Act of 2018 and the Municipal Act of 2019, both passed under the previous BRS government. He said these laws capped total reservations at 50 percent, forcing the present government to bring in an ordinance to enable the 42 percent quota for BCs.
Governor’s decision influenced by BRS, alleges CM
Revanth Reddy said the ordinance was sent to the Governor, who refused to promulgate it and instead forwarded it to the President. He alleged that BRS leaders influenced the move while publicly claiming to support the quota. “BRS MLA Gangula Kamalakar declared support, but his party leadership blocked the bill in the Assembly,” he said.
He urged Kamalakar to support weaker sections and not bow to party pressure. “If you truly support BCs, don’t spread misinformation in this House,” the Chief Minister warned, adding that divisions among BC leaders would only weaken their fight.
State’s legal and political efforts
The Chief Minister said the BRS government had failed to expand BC quotas during its tenure. “The 2018 Act is your creation,” he said, adding that his government was now trying to correct it through reform. He criticised the opposition for not backing the state’s wider efforts. “We wrote five letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a meeting, but got no reply. We even staged a protest at Jantar Mantar. Over 100 MPs from other states supported us, but BRS MPs in the Rajya Sabha did not even acknowledge us,” he said.
Revanth also criticised Kamalakar for not leading an all-party delegation to Delhi or attending the national-level protest. “Your party talks about BCs but did not stand with us,” he said, warning that public anger would further reduce BRS’s strength.
Dedication Commission and caste survey
Explaining government steps, Revanth said the state formed a Dedication Commission on High Court orders and launched a caste-based socio-economic survey on February 4, 2024. “We completed the entire exercise in 365 days to ensure a legally sound framework,” he said. He added that Rajya Sabha MP R. Krishnaiah filed a writ petition (WP No. 30381/2024) demanding the survey be conducted through the Dedication Commission rather than the BC Commission.
He countered BRS claims that similar quota attempts failed in Rajasthan and Bihar, saying Telangana studied other state models before preparing its own framework. “We submitted two bills to the Governor for providing 42 percent quota across education, employment, and political representation. If approved, these will enable reservation without breaching legal limits,” he said.
Commitment to Kamareddy Declaration
Revanth concluded by reaffirming that the Congress government was committed to implementing the Kamareddy Declaration. He urged the opposition to cooperate for the sake of social equity.