Hyderabad: After nearly eight hours of discussion, the Telangana legislative assembly unanimously passed two landmark bills on Monday to provide 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in education, govt employment, and rural and urban local bodies.
This brings the total reservation for BCs, SCs, and STs in Telangana to 70% with the passage of the bills, exceeding the Supreme Court’s 50% cap on reservations. The first bill – Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in the services under the state) Bill 2025 – proposes a 42% quota for BCs, 18% for SCs, and 10% for STs.
The move, backed by all political parties – BRS, BJP, AIMIM, and CPI – marks a significant shift in the state’s reservation framework. These bills will now be sent to the Centre, requiring a constitutional amendment for implementation.
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has committed to leading an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other parliamentary leaders to press for the constitutional amendment. He emphasised that empirical data from a door-to-door survey conducted by the state govt would serve as the basis for this amendment.
The data, which includes information on BCs, SCs, and STs, is crucial for breaching the 50% cap on reservations, a step the Supreme Court itself has indicated could be considered with such data. CM Revanth also instructed officials to urgently seek an appointment with the Prime Minister.
Currently, BCs, including BC-E Muslims, have a 29% quota in education and employment, while SCs and STs receive 15% and 6%, respectively.
The second bill – Telangana Backward Classes (reservation of seats in rural and urban local bodies) Bill 2025 – extends the 42% BC quota to rural and urban local bodies. Before this, BC reservations in local bodies ranged from 18% to 23%, depending on the population of each municipality or panchayat.
During the debate, assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar said that a 15% quota for SCs was initially included in the bill but was later increased to 18% following a suggestion by AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi. However, the House rejected three amendments proposed by the BRS. These amendments called for a 42% quota for BCs in all govt contracts, creation of a BC sub-plan similar to those for SCs and STs, and a Rs 20,000 crore allocation for BC welfare in the upcoming budget.
Revanth, along with deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar, expressed confidence in securing the constitutional amendment. They cited the state’s socio-economic survey, a scientific exercise required by the courts but not previously undertaken by other states. Prabhakar urged all political parties to set aside differences and unite to advocate for the 42% BC quota, drawing inspiration from Tamil Nadu’s success in securing a similar quota through bipartisan support.
The assembly also discussed the Telangana Scheduled Castes (rationalisation of reservations) Bill 2025, which was introduced earlier in the day. This bill, which deals with the sub-classification of SCs, will be debated on Tuesday before being sent to the governor for approval. The Supreme Court had empowered states to sub-classify SCs, meaning no central approval is required.
Throughout the debate on the two BC bills, all parties expressed support but sought additional welfare measures for BCs. Apart from AIMIM’s proposal to increase the SC quota to 18%, no other amendments were accepted, and the demands were not incorporated into the bills.
CM Revanth informed the House that the previous BRS govt had sent a proposal to the Centre for a 37% BC reservation. He clarified that the Congress govt would withdraw the 37% proposal and send a new one for 42%, as the two proposals cannot coexist.
Revanth, in a post on X, said, “Today, as Chief Minister, I solemnly declare that based on the most scientific, methodically rigorous efforts, we can say that the OBC population in #Telangana is 56.36 percent. We are now resolving to ensure 42% reservations for this Group in education, jobs, and employment & political representation. Be on the right side of history & let each one of us become a champion of this historic move.”
With the passage of these bills, Telangana moves a step closer to implementing one of the most ambitious reservation frameworks in the country, a bold step aimed at addressing historical injustices while navigating complex legal and constitutional hurdles, political analysts said.