Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Hyderabad, Oct 8 (IANS) The Telangana High Court on Wednesday clubbed all the petitions to hear the case related to 42 per cent reservation for backward classes in local bodies.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh heard petitions challenging the government order (GO) of 42 per cent quota for backward classes (BCs).
Congress Rajya Sabha member and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued the case on behalf of the state government.
The Chief Justice made it clear that all the petitions will be heard together. He sought details of the petition filed in the Supreme Court on the same issue and found that the apex court had rejected the petition because it wanted the High Court to hear the case.
B. Madhava Reddy and S. Ramesh had already filed a petition in the High Court challenging GO-9, which provided 42 per cent reservation for BCs in local bodies.
The petitioners challenged the validity of the GO on the grounds that it violates the Supreme Court judgment in the Indra Sawhney case which had limited vertical reservation to 50 per cent.
With the Telangana government increasing the reservation for BCs from 25 percent to 42 percent (including 15 percent reservation for SCs and 10 percent for STs), the total reservation reached 67 percent. Lawyers for the petitioners said this was a violation of the 50 per cent limit set by the apex court.
Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy informed the High Court that the government has already amended Section 285-A of the Panchayat Raj Act to increase the BC quota. However, the petitioner’s counsel said the Governor has not yet given assent to the two bills passed by the Telangana Assembly that amended the Panchayat Raj Act.
During the last two days, some politicians approached the High Court seeking to become parties to the case in support of BC quota.
CPI MLA K. Sambasiva Rao, BJP MP R. Krishnaiah, Congress leaders Charan Kaushik and Indira Shobhan and others filed petitions.
Senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, former IAS officer Chiranjeevulu, Telangana Fisheries Corporation Chairman Mettu Sai Kumar and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) member R. Laxman Yadav also filed a petition seeking to become a party in support of BC quota.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday held a meeting with some ministers to discuss the key points to be presented before the High Court.
Those present included Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
The Chief Minister requested Abhishek Manu Singhvi to debate the matter on behalf of the state government.
The meeting discussed the possible impact of the hearing on local body elections, the schedule of which has already been announced.
Elections for rural local bodies will be held in five phases in October-November.
–IANS
ms/svn