Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. (File Photo)
In line with the Congress’ pre-poll promise of granting 42% reservation for Backward Classes, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarkaon Wednesday said the Backward Classes Reservation Bill would be tabled in the coming Session of the Assembly in March.
The Bill is aimed at providing quota for Backward Classes in local bodies, state-run educational institutions and government jobs. However, granting the quota will breach the Supreme Court’s 50% ceiling for reservations and experts say the Congress-led Telangana government’s move will not fructify without the Centre’s support.
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In the lead-up to the November 2023 Assembly polls, Revanth Reddy – then the Telangana Congress chief, and now Telangana Chief Minister – signed a “Kamareddy declaration”. The document promised to increase the existing 23% reservation for Backward Classes to 42% in local bodies based on a caste survey within six months of assuming power. It also promised sub-categorisation of Backward Classes reservations in local bodies.
The declaration, signed in the presence of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, was dubbed as a political masterstroke and is often attributed as a key reason for the Congress coming to power in Telangana by consolidating the Backward Classes – which make up over 50% of the state’s population – in favour of the party.
So the Revanth Reddy government is just keeping its promise?
Since assuming power, the Revanth Reddy government has been haunted by the “Kamareddy declaration” and has been buying time to implement it saying that only a caste survey can lead to adequate reservation for the Backward Classes.
Last week, the government finally tabled the interim report of a caste survey it had conducted in the House. With the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP raising the heat on the CM, the Congress also reiterated its promise to allot 42% of seats to Backward Classes in the upcoming local body polls.
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However, the government has faced flak, especially from community leaders, including BJP Rajya Sabha MP R Krishnaiah, who has accused the Congress government of “undercounting” the community and claimed that Backward Classes actually amount to 61% of the state’s population.
To stem this line of attack, the Congress government has once again shifted its focus to the “Kamareddy declaration”.
Will the Congress’s Backward Classes quota move see the light of day?
While Vikramarka exuded confidence that the Bill will sail through as the Congress has a strength of 64 in the 117-member House, implementing it would breach the Supreme Court-mandated 50% reservation ceiling and take reservations in Telangana up to 62%.
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“Thus, implementing the quota would require a Constitutional amendment and the Centre’s nod. However, with the Congress having little say in the NDA government at the Centre, the Bill is likely to face some hurdles,” a legal expert said.
Have any other states tried to implement quota?
Last year, the Bihar Assembly passed a Bill which increased reservations for Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), taking the overall quota from 50% to 65%.
The Patna High Court in July last year struck down the move while the Supreme Court, a month later, refused to stay the High court’s decision observing that the Bihar government’s move would interfere with the right to equality granted by the Constitution.
How is the move likely to play out politically?
A delay in implementing reservations for Backward Classes would likely result in the postponement of local body polls, scheduled to be held in February. The delay in the conduct of the polls will provide ammunition to the BRS as well as the BJP to target the ruling Congress.
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On the national level, the Congress may be able to put the Centre in a spot and can claim that the BJP is against reservations for Backward Classes as well as the caste census if the NDA government is seen as being opposed to the Reddy government’s move to implement the quota in Telangana.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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