Telangana govt to implement 42% reservation for OBCs in local body polls

The Telangana government on Thursday moved to implement 42 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections, fulfilling a key poll promise made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the chief minister has directed officials to immediately begin the groundwork for implementation.

Rahul Gandhi’s role in shaping OBC agenda

Minister Prabhakar credited Rahul Gandhi for keeping the OBC issue at the forefront of the party’s agenda. “Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi Ji, the commitment made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra is now being implemented by the Telangana government, which has taken a cabinet decision to provide 42 per cent reservation for OBCs, setting a role model,” he said.

He added that the Revanth Reddy-led cabinet has instructed officials to start the implementation process without delay and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to meet the timeline set earlier this year.

“As promised in Revanth Reddy’s declaration on February 4, 2024, this promise, from decision to implementation, is being fulfilled within one year,” he stated.

Two reservation bills passed in March

In March, the Congress-led Telangana government passed two significant bills:

-The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation in Educational Institutions and Government Services) Bill, 2025

-The Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025

These reservation bills propose 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes, 15 per cent for Scheduled Castes, and 10 per cent for Scheduled Tribes across education, employment, and local governance.

Both bills have been passed by the Assembly and the Legislative Council and are now awaiting approval from the Centre.

Following their passage, CM Revanth Reddy called the move “revolutionary”. In a post on X, he said, “The revolutionary promise of 42 per cent reservations for Backward Castes not only finally hopes to end the legal glass-ceiling of 49 per cent on quotas but also moves towards empowering the long-oppressed communities’ resources & opportunities in proportion to their percentage in the population.”

Telangana secures fresh investment in innovation sectors

In a separate development, the Telangana government announced in June that it had secured ₹2,150 crore in new investments in the biotechnology, technology, and fintech sectors.

Industries and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with Shaiva Group and Taranis Capital to promote growth in artificial intelligence, biotech, and other innovation-led sectors. Officials said the investment reflects rising confidence in the state’s innovation ecosystem.