In a move to safeguard social justice for Backward Classes, the Telangana government is intensifying preparations for the Supreme Court hearing on the contentious 42% reservation policy for local body elections. The apex court is set to hear a petition challenging Government Order (GO) No. 9, which reserves 42% of seats for BCs in Zilla Parishad Territorial Committees (ZPTC), Mandal Parishad Territorial Committees (MPTC), Sarpanch, and Ward Member positions. The petition, filed by Vanga Gopal Reddy on September 29, argues that the quota exceeds the 50% cap mandated by the Supreme Court's earlier rulings.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed a high-level delegation to New Delhi to fortify the state's defense. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari departed from Shamshabad Airport on Sunday evening, accompanied by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud. The team will consult senior advocates, including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, to refine legal strategies and ensure robust arguments in court. The hearing is slated for Monday, October 6.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar emphasized the government's unwavering commitment, stating, "This reservation is constitutional and does not infringe on SC, ST, or EWS quotas. Attempts to block it are personal agendas disguised as 'Reddy awakening'—we urge petitioners to reconsider for the greater good." He highlighted that the bill passed unanimously with support from all political parties, underscoring public backing as the true measure of legitimacy.

The delegation's visit follows intensive briefings with Revanth Reddy, Bhatti, PCC chief Goud, and AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan. Discussions focused on countering claims of procedural lapses, including the High Court's October 8 hearing on a related petition by Madhav Reddy, which questioned the election schedule amid pending gubernatorial approval.