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AP High Court Strikes Down 34% BC Quota, Orders Polls
The Andhra Pradesh government wanted to reserve more local election seats for Backward Classes, or BCs.
It proposed 34% reservations in rural local bodies and 33.33% in urban bodies.
The High Court cancelled the government orders.
The court said all reservations together cannot go above 50%.
It also told the government and election authorities to start local elections within six weeks.
The government said its decision was based on a survey of the BC population.
The court also rejected a request to delay the elections until a voter-list review was finished.
The government may give political parties responsibility for ensuring BC candidates receive 34% of seats.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down government orders providing increased BC reservations in local body elections.
The court ruled that total reservations cannot exceed the Supreme Court’s 50% ceiling.
The government had proposed 34% BC reservation in rural bodies and 33.33% in urban bodies.
The court directed the state government and State Election Commission to begin elections within six weeks.
The government cited a survey showing BCs comprise about 50.42% of Andhra Pradesh’s population.
- Who
- The Andhra Pradesh government, the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the State Election Commission, BC communities, and petitioners including advocate Tandava Yogesh.
- What
- The High Court struck down government orders increasing BC reservations in local body elections and directed authorities to begin the election process within six weeks.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh, including rural and urban local bodies.
- When
- The court issued its orders on Thursday; the reservation increase had been approved in August 2026.
- Why
- The court said the orders violated the 50% limit on total reservations and did not follow Supreme Court guidelines.
Government and BC Representation
Reservation Ceiling and Legal Compliance
Basis for the quota
Government and BC Representation
The government said the increased reservation reflected BC numerical strength, community diversity, geographical distribution, and Unified Family Survey findings.
Reservation Ceiling and Legal Compliance
The petitioners argued that the proposed quotas would push total reservations beyond the constitutionally recognized 50% ceiling.
Election timing
Government and BC Representation
The government appears unwilling to delay elections and may implement the quota at the party level by allocating 34% of seats to BC candidates.
Reservation Ceiling and Legal Compliance
The High Court directed the government and State Election Commission to begin the election process within six weeks and said elections should not be postponed.
Key facts
- BC reservation proposed
- 34% in rural local bodies and 33.33% in urban local bodies
- Current BC reservation
- 24.15% in local bodies
- Reservation ceiling
- 50%, under Supreme Court guidelines cited by the High Court
- Election deadline
- The election process must begin within six weeks
- Population figure
- The government said BCs constitute about 50.42% of Andhra Pradesh’s population
- Survey cited
- The government relied on a statewide Unified Family Survey
- Petition outcome
- The High Court dismissed the YSRCP request to defer elections pending the Special Intensive Revision process
Sources
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