The Telangana State Legislative Assembly Sunday passed two key Bills providing 42 per cent reservation to the Backward Classes in the local body elections, scheduled to be held next month.
Speaking about the BC bills pending with the Centre, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said he had written five letters to the Prime Minister seeking an appointment to discuss the BC reservation, but to no avail. BRS working president KT Rama Rao challenged the chief minister to sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi until the BC Bill is passed. The government also tabled the PC Ghose report on the Kaleshwaram Dam today.
The Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, were passed after two previous Bills providing enhanced reservation to BCs in education, employment, and local body elections were kept pending by the Centre after the Governor referred the Bills and Ordinance to it.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said, “I wrote five letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an appointment and requesting him to allow an all-party delegation to meet him to discuss the BC reservation. But the Prime Minister did not give me an appointment.” He also accused the Opposition of influencing the Governor and stopping the promulgation of the Ordinance on the BC reservation.
Blaming his predecessor, K Chandrasekhar Rao Reddy accused the BRS of creating hurdles for the enactment of the BC Bill. The Chief Minister warned that the BRS would face public ire if the party did not stop playing politics on BC’s political empowerment.
Chief Minister Reddy also openly praised BRS BC leader and MLA Gangula Kamalakar for supporting the BC Bill, but it did not go down well with the BRS. Reddy told Kamalakar not to succumb to pressure from BRS leadership and promised to take care if anything happens, reminding him, “Remember, we are old friends.” The BRS accused the Chief Minister of openly bribing the Opposition MLAs on the floor of the House. Ten BRS turned Congress MLAs are facing disqualification, and the BRS alleged that Reddy was openly trying to buy their MLAs.
Though the BRS supported the enhancement in reservation for BCs, it said it was not convinced about the procedure through which the reservation was being implemented. “If Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was truly committed towards Backward Classes, he should sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi until the BC Bill is passed. This is not about seeking appointments but about showing dedication,” said BRS leader KT Rama Rao.
He added,” If Congress and BJP are really serious, let them bring a Constitutional amendment in Parliament – only that can permanently ensure BC reservation.” He also dragged in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, wondering why he was silent on the BC reservation.