Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the Telangana High Court’s interim stay on the implementation of the government order (GO) providing 42 per cent reservation for Backwards Classes (BCs) in upcoming elections to local bodies.

Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vakati Srihari along with TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud is likely to go to New Delhi and discuss with legal experts to put up strong arguments in the apex court in favour of the BC quota hike.

The decision to approach the apex court was taken following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, at which senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, ministers, and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud were present, among others.

The Telangana High Court on October 9 stayed the implementation of GO No. 9, which had extended quota for BCs in the local polls to 42 per cent.

The Court observed that the government order violated the Supreme Court’s ceiling on reservations and lacked compliance with the ‘triple test’ framework required for OBC quota enhancement.

The triple test mandates the formation of a commission to collect empirical data, determine the proportion of reservations based on findings, and ensure that the total quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs does not exceed 50 per cent. According to sources, CM Revanth Reddy directed the officials concerned to prepare the SLP, as the state government finds that it is the only option that is left for it to seek a hike in the quota exceeding the 50 per cent cap. The government plans to present comprehensive caste survey data, two BC quota Bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly, and an amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act that removing the 50 per cent cap. The Bills are awaiting Presidential assent.

The officials have reportedly briefed higher-ups in the government that the High Court’s intervention was inappropriate, as the process of nominations had commenced by then, following the issue of notification by the State Election Commission (SEC) on September 29. The High Court’s order did not halt the elections but permitted them to proceed under the earlier BC quota. However, reworking the reservation pattern even under the old quota would delay the polls. Meanwhile, the TPCC chief said that the Congress government is committed to the 42 per cent reservations for BCs. And, it will not hold elections without the reservations as promised. At the same time, he accused the BRS and BJP of creating hurdles in the implementation of Congress-promised 42 per cent reservations.