The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Telangana’s 42% OBC reservation in local bodies, arguing it exceeds the 50% constitutional limit.

The Supreme Court will hear on October 6 a petition challenging Telangana’s 42% OBC reservation in local bodies, arguing it exceeds the 50% constitutional ceiling established in past rulings. The petition, filed by Vanga Gopal Reddy and advocate Somiran Sharma, claims the state’s government order violates the K. Krishna Murthy and Vikas Kishanrao Gawali judgments, which require empirical evidence and transparency. It asserts the move, combined with existing SC and ST quotas, pushes total reservations above 67%, undermining fairness. The state’s action bypassed legislative approval, raising legal concerns. The case, before Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, could set a precedent for reservation policies nationwide. Panchayat elections in Telangana are set to begin October 9.