Setback for Telangana govt as SC dismisses plea over OBC quota hike: ‘You may continue with elections’

The Supreme Court dismissed on Thursday the Telangana government's plea challenging a high court order related to a hike in reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies.

What's the case?

1. Govt orders on OBC reservation hike

The case concerns three government orders (GOs) passed by the Telangana government on 26 September this year.

In one of the orders, the state government decided to raise OBC reservations in municipalities and panchayats to 42%. The move, made ahead of elections to such local bodies, effectively raised total reservations (OBC, SC, ST, etc.) to 67%, Bar and Bench reported.

Two other consequential government orders laid down guidelines for the fixation of such reservations in respect of elections to Mandal Praja Parishads, Zilla Praja Parishads and Gram Panchayats under the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018.

2. Petitions filed against Telangana govt orders

Some of the petitioners before the high court challenged the government order of 26 September 2025, saying the 42% quota to Backwards Classes raises total reservation in local bodies to 67%.

“It breaches the 50% ceiling on reservations laid down by the court in its verdicts,” the petitioners claimed.

3. Telangana HC stays govt orders

On 9 October, the Telangana High Court stayed this reservation hike while considering a batch of petitions filed on the issue. The high court had directed the state to file its reply in four weeks.

As per Bar and Bench, the High Court Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin opined that such an increase in the OBC quota appeared to violate the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court in various case laws for such reservation.

Therefore, it stayed the GOs while clarifying that the local body elections can proceed without implementing the proposed OBC quota hike.

The Telangana government then filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the high court's interim stay.

4. SC orders: ‘You may continue with your elections’

On Thursday, 16 October, a Supreme Court Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta reportedly refused to interfere with the high court's interim order.

As per Bar and Bench, the Supreme Court bench said that the local elections can continue without the proposed hike in OBC reservations.

"You may continue with your elections...(State's appeal) dismissed ... The order shall not affect the High Court in deciding the case on its own merits," the Supreme Court was quoted a saying.

The High Court, meanwhile, is scheduled to hear the case next in December.