Telangana Reservations Row: BJP leader R. Krishnaiah calls for State Bandh on October 18

Speaking to ANI, Krishnaiah stated that the ongoing High Court hearing on Backward Class reservations in local body elections is irrelevant. In response, the committee has called for a state bandh on October 18 to press for their demands.

Earlier, the Telangana High Court granted an interim stay on the notification for local body elections in the state on Thursday.

The bench allowed petitions challenging the state government's order providing 42 per cent reservation to the Backward Classes in local bodies.

The state government has been given four weeks to file a counter-affidavit, and the petitioner has been given two weeks to respond to the government.

"The counter should be submitted in 15 days for all parties...," Advocate Govardhan Reddy told ANI.

The High Court has been hearing petitions challenging the government order providing 42% reservations to Backward Classes in local bodies.

The Telangana assembly had, in August this year, passed the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Telangana Municipalities (Amendment) Bill 2025 to facilitate the implementation of 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes.

The bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin heard arguments of the counsels of the petitioners and the government for over three hours on Wednesday. The court continued to hear the arguments on Thursday.

Backwards Community members and leaders protested outside the High Court after the court ruling.

The state government had issued an order (GO MS No. 9), which provides 42 per cent reservation for Backwards Classes (BCs) in the upcoming local body elections.

The State Election Commission on September 29 issued a notification to conduct polls to the rural local bodies in five phases from October 9 to November 11. (ANI)