No Relief At Supreme, But AP Set For Poll Battle

AP Local Body Elections Supreme Court Verdict on 34% BC Reservation

A little over two years after the previous Assembly elections, Andhra Pradesh is preparing for another electoral contest. This time, the focus is on the upcoming local body elections, which have already generated considerable political discussion across the state.

The Andhra Pradesh government had earlier approached the High Court seeking 34% reservation for the Backward Classes (BC) community in local body elections. After failing to secure a favourable ruling, the government moved the Supreme Court, but its plea was reportedly dismissed.

The reported ruling means that the government’s proposal to provide 34% reservation for the BC community cannot proceed in its present form. The overall reservation limit of 50% remains a key consideration for conducting the upcoming local body elections.

The Supreme Court also reportedly clarified that the election process could proceed using the existing voters’ list without waiting for the new Special Intensive Revision (SIR) list. This development could affect the YSRCP’s position on the timing of the elections.

The YSRCP leadership had reportedly sought a delay in the local body elections over the SIR process. However, the court’s reported position on using the existing electoral rolls could reduce the scope for postponing the polls on those grounds.

With these legal developments, Andhra Pradesh could soon move towards the local body election process. An election notification is expected in the coming days, although the official schedule is yet to be announced. Political parties will now be preparing for the contest.