Andhra Pradesh High Court Strikes Down 34% BC Reservation

The Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down government orders that established a 34% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in rural local bodies and 33.33% in urban bodies. The court ruled that these quotas violated Supreme Court guidelines capping total reservations at 50%. The decision reverses a policy implemented by the government of N. Chandrababu Naidu to fulfill a 2024 election promise that increased the quota from 20% to 34%.

Chief Minister Naidu has directed officials to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. He previously defended the policy, stating that the reservation reflects the NDA government's commitment to social justice and fairness.

Simultaneously, the High Court rejected petitions from the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) to delay local body elections over ward delimitation and electoral roll revisions. The court instead ordered the state government and the State Election Commission to initiate the election process within six weeks.

YSRCP leaders Dharmana Prasada Rao and Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna criticized the administration's reservation policy as a political game. They argued the orders were legally unsustainable and demanded an unconditional apology to the BC community.