Political Row Over Backward Classes Local Body Reservations Escalates in Andhra Pradesh

The ruling government and opposition parties are locked in a bitter political dispute over local body reservations for backward classes in Andhra Pradesh, with both sides trading accusations over court battles and policy decisions. Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and State Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu stated that the previous government reduced backward class reservations from 34 percent to 24 percent, which they claim kept about 17,000 backward class leaders away from local body positions. Speaking at a press conference in Srikakulam on October 9, the ministers asserted that the administration is legally fighting in the Supreme Court to secure the full 34 percent reservation and will soon conduct local elections after gathering data through a dedicated commission headed by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.

The Dispute Over Court Petitions

Meanwhile, reports point out that during the 2020-21 local body polls, the previous administration issued Government Order 176 to provide 34 percent reservations for backward classes alongside scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, taking total reservations to 59 percent. A Telugu Desam Party leader named Birru Pratap Reddy challenged this in the Supreme Court on the grounds that total reservations exceeded the 50 percent limit. Opposition critics point out that this leader had earlier been appointed to a state council position under a previous government order in March 2019, leading to fresh verbal clashes between political rivals as ministers blamed the opposition for the legal hurdles.

Context

Local body reservations in India often face complex legal limits due to judicial rulings capping total reservations at 50 percent, requiring governments to balance social justice goals with constitutional parameters. Political debates over these quotas typically intensify ahead of grassroots elections as parties vie for the support of backward class communities that form a large share of the state population.