States » SouthPosted at: Oct 2 2026 1:41PM


AP Govt should have provided legal protection to BC reservations: Cong

Vijayawada, Oct 2 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Vice-President Kolanukonda Shivaji has said that the Andhra Pradesh High Court's verdict regarding the 34% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) has not come as a surprise to the Congress Party and felt that the government could have provided stronger legal protection to the BC reservations.

Talking to UNI here on Friday, Kolanukonda Shivaji said that the Congress had been cautioning the BC community for the past 90 days that the Naidu headed State Government's decision to provide 34% reservations to the Backward Caste communities in the local bodies elections was 'vulnerable to legal and constitutional challenges'.
"If the Andhra Pradesh Government is sincerely committed to providing 34% reservations to the BCs in the local bodies, it should have taken appropriate legislative measures and sought constitutional protection by including the provision in the Ninth Schedule. Only such a course of action could have provided stronger legal protection to BC reservations. Tamil Nadu, for instance, has constitutional protection for its 69% reservation framework," the Congress leader opined.

Mr. Shivaji said that the Government's unilateral approach, without adequately consulting the BC organisations and representatives, was one of the major shortcomings in the process. The High Court verdict should therefore serve as a wake-up call to the State Government.
Mr. Shivaji revealed that the High Court on October 1 st dismissed the challenges concerning G.O. Ms. No. 105 and G.O. Ms. No. 106, through which the 34% reservation was sought to be provided, adding that the high court verdict has therefore come as a setback to the State Government's position on the issue.
The APCC Vice President recalled that the Congress Party had clearly warned the Government well in advance about the legal difficulties involved. Mr. Shivaji noted that the TDP-led alliance Government had extensively published its decision to increase BC reservations, projecting it as a major achievement and claiming that it had done more for BCs than the Mandal Commission.

"However, instead of ensuring strong legal and constitutional protection, the Government failed to adequately defend the matter before the courts and is now attempting to shift the responsibility onto the judiciary," he observed.
The Congress Party demanded the State Government to immediately convene a meeting with all major BC organisations in Andhra Pradesh and jointly approach the union Government to seek appropriate constitutional and legal measures to protect BC reservations.
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