Delegation to storm the national capital for quota push from Aug 5-7

1. Telangana delegation in Delhi, Aug 5-7, 2025: CM Revanth Reddy leads ministers, MPs, and BC leaders to meet President Murmu, urging 42% BC quota approval
2. Parliament Protest and Dharna planned: Congress MPs to move motion on Aug 5, followed by Jantar Mantar dharna on Aug 6 to demand swift action on BC reservation bills
3. Empirical Data backs 42% Quota: Telangana’s Caste Census supports reservation hike, as state pushes to lift 50% cap set by 2018 Panchayat Raj Act

The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has resolved to intensify its efforts to secure 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BC) in local body elections and educational and employment opportunities. Following a State Cabinet meeting on Monday, the government announced a comprehensive plan to press the Central Government and seek Presidential approval for the necessary bills and ordinance. A high-level delegation, including Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, BC intellectuals, and leaders, will travel to New Delhi for a three-day campaign from August 5 to 7, 2025, to advocate for this cause.

Accompanied by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MPs, and select alliance partners, the delegation will meet President Draupadi Murmu on August 7 to submit a memorandum urging immediate approval of two bills and an ordinance. These bills, passed by the Telangana Assembly on March 17 and the Legislative Council on March 18, 2025, 

aim to provide 42% BC reservations in local bodies and educational and employment sectors. They were forwarded to the Governor on March 22 and subsequently sent to the President on March 30, where they remain pending.

BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar emphasized that the Telangana government has robust empirical data from a Caste Census to justify the reservation hike, aligning with Supreme Court directives on such reforms. He accused the state BJP unit of inconsistency, noting their support for the resolution in the Assembly but alleged obstruction at the national level. Prabhakar invited elected representatives from all parties, particularly the five BJP BC MPs (Dharampuri Aravind, Bandi Sanjay, Eatala Rajender, Dr. K. Laxman, and R. Krishnaiah), to join the delegation and leverage their influence in New Delhi.

The State Cabinet, which met for nearly five hours on Monday, has planned a strategic approach, including a  motion in Parliament on August 5 to protest delays in bill approvals and a dharna at Jantar Mantar on August 6, involving nearly 200 representatives. The urgency of the issue is tied to the upcoming local body elections, with the Telangana High Court mandating completion of the reservation process by July’s end and elections within three months. The government also seeks to amend a 2018 Panchayat Raj Act provision, introduced by former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, capping total reservations at 50%. An ordinance to remove this cap was sent to the Governor on July 14, 2025, and forwarded to the President, where it awaits approval.

Other Cabinet Decisions

The Telangana Cabinet decided to eliminate 15 interstate check posts to facilitate smoother transport on national highways, as recommended by the Central Government. Monitoring will now rely on Vahan and advanced CCTV systems. Also the Cabinet approved the establishment of microbreweries in Core Telangana Urban City Area and all municipal corporations, with amendments to the Microbreweries Act to support this initiative. In a related development, Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha met Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy to discuss protecting Telangana students’ interests in medical admissions under GO No. 33. The government aims to ensure local quota seats for Telangana students, with a Supreme Court hearing scheduled for August 5, 2025.