Andhra Pradesh High Court strikes down BC reservation quotas

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has struck down government orders (GOs 105 and 1065) that provided 34 per cent Backward Classes (BC) reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban bodies. The court directed that the local-body election process be initiated within six weeks.

Following the ruling, leaders of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), including former ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna, criticized the Chandrababu Naidu administration. They characterized the move as a ‘political game’ and argued that the government failed to establish a legally sustainable basis for the reservations, noting that aggregate vertical reservations for SC, ST, and BC groups typically cannot exceed a 50 per cent ceiling.

YSRCP leaders have challenged Chief Minister Naidu to ensure equivalent political representation for BCs in upcoming elections by allotting at least 34 per cent of tickets to BC candidates. Additionally, party members questioned why the ruling coalition had not pursued constitutional protections, such as those found in Tamil Nadu’s Ninth Schedule, to secure reservations beyond existing limits.