The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday, October 1, struck down two government orders that provided increased reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local-body elections.
The court quashed G.O. Ms. No. 105, which provided 34% reservation for BCs in rural local bodies, and G.O. Ms. No. 1065, which provided 33.33% reservation in urban local bodies. The court held that the reservation arrangement exceeded the ceiling applicable under the Supreme Court's framework for local-body reservations.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: Andhra Pradesh High Court quashes enhanced BC reservation orders for local-body elections.
Location: Andhra Pradesh.
Authority/Organisation: Andhra Pradesh High Court; State Election Commission.
Action Taken: G.O. 105 and G.O. 1065 were struck down, and the election process was directed to move forward within six weeks.
Impact: The state will need to proceed with the local-election process under a revised reservation framework.
The ruling comes as Andhra Pradesh prepares for local-body elections. The High Court directed the state government and the State Election Commission to initiate the election process within six weeks.
The court also rejected requests seeking to delay the elections until the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or a comprehensive BC caste census. The court said the SIR process could not by itself be used as a reason to postpone the local elections.
The dispute centres on the legal basis for increasing BC political reservation while maintaining the overall reservation framework for local bodies.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The ruling affects the reservation structure under which Andhra Pradesh's upcoming local-body elections will be conducted. It also brings the question of BC political representation versus the overall reservation ceiling back into focus. The court's decision means the government cannot implement the challenged 34% BC reservation orders in their existing form. The six-week direction is also significant because it places a defined timeframe on the next stage of the local-election process.
