Overview

• The Division Bench stayed implementation of G.O. Ms. No. 9 and suspended the State Election Commission’s local body election notification for six weeks, with detailed reasons to follow.
• The court pressed the state on meeting the Supreme Court’s ‘Triple Test’, the 50% ceiling on combined SC/ST/BC reservations, the uniform 42% allocation across districts, and publication of commission data for objections.
• Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for the state, cited a 2024 survey and a BC Commission report, argued deemed assent for pending bills, and contended the 50% cap can be flexible and that no law mandates publishing the data for objections.
• Petitioners argued the move breaches Indra Sawhney and K. Krishna Murthy precedents and violates Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, which codifies a 50% limit for political reservations.
• The bench allowed impleadment pleas, gave the state four weeks to file its counter and petitioners two additional weeks for replies, effectively pausing the SEC’s announced election timetable.