YSRCP chief accuses Chandrababu Naidu of misleading Backward Classes after Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down orders providing 34% reservation in local body elections.
Amaravati, Oct 2026 : YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday demanded that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu use his influence at the Centre to pursue a constitutional amendment to ensure 34 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections.
Jagan’s remarks came after the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down two government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local bodies. The court held that the quota was contrary to the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations laid down in Supreme Court judgments and also found that the state had not provided adequate empirical data to justify the enhanced quota. The court directed the state government and State Election Commission to commence the election process within six weeks.
Reacting to the ruling, the former Chief Minister accused Naidu of misleading the BC community and demanded an apology.
“If you are genuinely committed to providing 34 per cent reservation to BCs, it can be achieved only through constitutionally valid measures,” Jagan said.
He urged Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is part of the ruling alliance at the Centre, to take up the issue with the Central government and seek the necessary legal and constitutional measures to establish a framework capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny.
Jagan questioned whether Naidu had raised the matter with the Central government or used his party’s representation in the Union government to seek a permanent solution to the reservation issue.
“How long will you continue this politics of deception against the BCs? How much longer do you intend to mislead and deceive them?” he asked.
The YSRCP chief alleged that the state government was aware of the legal difficulties surrounding the 34 per cent quota but proceeded with the government orders. He questioned whether the exercise undertaken over the previous several weeks was intended primarily for political purposes.
Jagan said that instead of issuing orders that could subsequently be challenged in court, the state government should have first pursued a constitutionally sustainable mechanism for implementing the reservation.
The Andhra Pradesh government had announced the enhanced BC reservation in August, with Naidu describing it as fulfilling a key electoral commitment. The government had provided for 34 per cent reservation for BCs in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban local bodies. Naidu had said the move was aimed at strengthening political representation and social justice for BC communities.
Following the High Court verdict, Jagan said the Chief Minister should publicly acknowledge the legal setback and apologise to members of the BC community. He alleged that issuing government orders without first securing a legally sustainable framework had created expectations among BC voters that could not be fulfilled under the existing legal position.
The former Chief Minister also highlighted the record of the previous YSRCP government in relation to BCs, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and minorities. He claimed that his government had focused on improving the economic, social and political participation of these communities.
Jagan recalled that in August 2019, his government enacted legislation providing 50 per cent reservation for BCs, SCs, STs and minorities in nominated posts and contract works in corporations, boards, societies and committees across Andhra Pradesh.
According to Jagan, the measure created opportunities for members of marginalised communities to enter positions in public institutions and participate more actively in governance and political life.
He claimed that several BCs, SCs, STs and women who received such opportunities gained greater political representation and social empowerment.
The YSRCP president further alleged that his government had created leadership opportunities for these communities on a large scale and said the issue of BC reservation should be addressed through a durable legal framework rather than temporary administrative orders.
The High Court ruling has added another dimension to the political debate over BC representation ahead of Andhra Pradesh’s local body elections. While the state government has maintained that the enhanced quota was intended to increase political representation for BC communities, the court’s decision has placed the implementation of the 34 per cent reservation under legal scrutiny.
Jagan reiterated that the responsibility now rested with the state government to pursue a constitutionally valid route if it remained committed to the proposed reservation.
