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Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
Credit: X/@Jishnu_Devvarma
Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is understood to have sent an ordinance, aimed at facilitating 42 per cent reservation to backward classes in local body polls, to the President, official sources said on Friday.
They said the Governor has sent the the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) ordinance for Presidential assent.
The Congress government had issued the ordinance in July, amending the Panchayat Raj Act as Section 285A of the Act capping total reservations for SCs, STs and BCs in local bodies at 50 per cent.
The ruling Congress had promised before the 2023 assembly polls to increase the BC quota to 42 per cent from 23 per cent in local bodies, besides other benefits.
The Governor sending the ordinance to the President assumes significance as the High Court had directed the state government and the State Election Commission to conduct elections to the Gram Panchayats and declare results by September 30.
The President's response would decide whether the state government can provide 42 per cent reservation to BCs in the local body polls.
Also, two bills passed by the assembly to increase the reservation for Backward Classes to 42 per cent in education, employment and local body positions are awaiting Presidential assent.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, his cabinet colleagues and ruling Congress leaders would sit on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 6, demanding Presidential assent to BC quota bills passed by the legislature.
The CM and other Congress leaders, who will visit Delhi during August 5 to 7, also plan to meet President Droupadi Murmu on August 7.