States » SouthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 10:20PM

Vijayawada, Oct 1 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh High Court here on Thursday struck down the Andhra Pradesh government orders providing 34 per cent reservations to the Backward Castes in the rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban local bodies in the ensuing elections. The High Court also directed the State Election commission to hold the local body elections within six weeks.

A High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill dismissed the AP government orders, contending that the State government’s GOs 105 and 1065 violate Supreme Court judgments and exceed the ceiling limit on reservations.

Meanwhile, the high court also dismissed a petition filed by the Opposition YSR Congress Party seeking to conduct elections only after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh. It may be recalled here that lawyer Tandava Yogesh challenged the Naidu headed government's decision of providing 34% reservations in rural local bodies and 33.33% reservations in urban local bodies to the Backward castes.

The tenure of local bodies in AP expired in March and April this year. The petitioners objected that implementing 34 per cent reservation in AP local bodies would cause the reservation limit to exceed 50 per cent, contrary to Supreme Court guidelines.

Responding to the AP HC verdict on the BC reservations, YSRCP senior leaders and former ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna said the High Court’s decision striking down GOs 105 and 1065 on BC reservations had exposed the Chandrababu Naidu government’s political game in the name of social justice.

The YSRCP leaders explained that the High Court set aside the orders providing 34 per cent BC reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban bodies, while directing that the local-body election process be initiated within six weeks.

Prasada Rao said YSRCP had warned from the day the GOs were issued that they would face legal hurdles because aggregate vertical reservations for SCs, STs and BCs cannot ordinarily cross the 50 per cent ceiling.

He pointed out that the government had failed to establish a legally sustainable basis for 34 per cent reservation and challenged Chandrababu to demonstrate his commitment by ensuring equivalent political representation for BCs in the coming local elections, adding that the High Court had earlier questioned the government on the data and legal basis used to arrive at the 34 per cent figure.

Venugopala Krishna demanded an unconditional apology to BCs and questioned why the TDP, despite being part of the NDA government at the Centre, had not pursued a constitutional route, including a proposal on the lines of Tamil Nadu’s Ninth Schedule protection, if it genuinely wanted reservation beyond the existing ceiling.
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