New Delhi: The Telangana high court on Thursday (October 9) stayed a government order granting 42% reservation to backward classes (BCs) in upcoming local body elections, plunging the poll process into immediate uncertainty and igniting a fierce political blame game across the state.A division bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin issued the interim stay, effectively halting the election notification and bringing preparations for the rural polls to a grinding halt.As a result, the court also stayed a notification issued by the state election commission (SEC) earlier during the day that set in motion the first phase of elections to 292 zilla parishad territorial constituencies (ZPTCs) and 2,964 mandal parishad territorial constituencies (MPTCs) scheduled for October 23.The ZPTCs represent mandals in a district, while MPTCs represent villages as units within a mandal. The elections to rural local bodies are taking place in Telangana 21 months after the previous bodies’ term expired.The court has directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks, granting petitioners two weeks thereafter for a rejoinder, with the next hearing scheduled in six weeks.Its ruling came after two days of intense arguments on a batch of writ petitions challenging government order (GO) Ms. No. 9. The petitioners’ central argument is that the order, which increased the BC quota to 42%, violates a constitutionally mandated 50% ceiling on total reservations.The legal challengeRepresenting one of the petitioners, senior counsel B. Mayur Reddy argued that the government’s decision was in direct violation of established Supreme Court precedent and existing state law. He contended that the enhanced quota, combined with existing reservations for Scheduled Castes (15%) and Scheduled Tribes (10%), would push total reservations to 67%, breaching the 50% cap established in the landmark Indra Sawhney and K. Krishna Murthy cases.Furthermore, the counsel submitted that the GO contravenes Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which explicitly codifies the 50% ceiling.A Bill passed by the legislature in March 2025 to amend this Act has not yet received the governor’s assent.During the hearings, the bench also questioned the government’s approach, noting that GO 9 introduced a uniform 42% reservation across the state, even though the BC population could differ significantly between local bodies.Defending the state’s position, advocate general Sudarshan Reddy informed the court that the decision was based on a comprehensive caste survey, which found that BCs constitute 57.6% of Telangana’s population. He argued that the reservation was increased to address the community’s political backwardness, a move unanimously approved by the state assembly.The legal battle reached the high court after the Supreme Court on October 6 declined to intervene, directing the petitioner to approach the state’s high court first.Political blame game eruptsThe court’s decision triggered a volley of accusations and defences among all major parties.The ruling Congress expressed deep disappointment and immediately pointed fingers at the opposition. BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar called the stay “unexpected” and said the government would decide its next course of action after reviewing the order.Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, speaking outside the high court, was more direct: “It was the BRS [Bharat Rashtra Samithi] party that filed the cases in court. The BJP and BRS united to block BC reservations. The reason the governor did not approve the Bill is the BJP government at the centre.”Adding an emotional charge, Minister Vakiti Srihari stated, “It is as if food has been snatched from the mouths of BCs. The BRS, in collusion with the BJP, has obstructed the BC reservations. We tried our best to prevent a stay.”The opposition, however, launched a multi-pronged attack, accusing the government of incompetence, insincerity and political theatre.BRS leader T. Harish Rao tweeted that the 42% reservation was a “drama”, challenging chief minister Revanth Reddy to “fight on the stage of Delhi” for national-level legislation.Fellow BRS leader Gangula Kamalakar accused the chief minister of hypocrisy. “In Delhi, you said this issue could only be resolved after Rahul Gandhi becomes prime minister, then you came to Hyderabad and issued a GO. You knew this GO would not stand,” Kamalakar said.BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao accused the government of acting in haste and without “application of mind”. He argued the government was now trying to “blame us” for its own procedural failures.“The responsibility for this outcome lies entirely with the state government,” he said, while affirming his party’s commitment to the 42% quota if implemented legally.In a more personal attack, BJP MP Dharmapuri Aravind accused the chief minister of creating a diversion. “This is a drama staged by Revanth to cover up his incompetent administration and failed promises. He is playing with the self-respect of backward classes,” Aravind asserted.BJP MP and prominent BC leader R. Krishnaiah framed the issue as a fight for dignity. “This is not a fight against hunger; it is a fight against humiliation,” he declared, describing hundreds of calls from community members ready for agitation. He urged followers to remain calm, expressing confidence that justice would ultimately prevail.With the election process suspended, the future of the local body polls and the enhanced BC reservation now hangs in the balance.With inputs from N. Rahul.