High Court winds up construction firm over RM8.27mil judgment debt

The Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled on Thursday against two government decisions that provided 34% reservation for backward classes in local body elections. The court determined that this quota violated the Supreme Court's guidelines, which restrict overall reservation to a maximum of 50%. This decision is a setback for the Chandrababu Naidu government, as the quota was a significant campaign promise.

The court instructed the state government and the State Election Commission to proceed with the election process within six weeks. In August, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had announced the 34% quota for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body polls, claiming it was "correcting injustice" and described it as a "historic day." The TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had pledged to increase BC reservation in local bodies from 20% to 34% as part of its election manifesto for 2024.

Naidu emphasized that BCs make up 50.54% of Andhra Pradesh's population, and justice must be ensured for them. However, the court's ruling adds pressure to Naidu and the TDP, as they face potential criticism from BC organizations. The YSRCP had already opposed the announcement, arguing that it violated Supreme Court guidelines on reservation.

The High Court also dismissed the YSRCP's petition to postpone the elections, citing that the ward delimitation process was still ongoing and that postponement was not a valid reason. The court directed the final voter list to be published and the local body elections to be conducted as scheduled.