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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said his government would approach the Supreme Court and continue its fight for providing 34 per cent reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections after the state High Court quashed the government orders providing the quota.
Addressing the NTR Bharosa Pension Distribution programme at Praja Vedika in Repalle Municipality, Naidu said, "We will fight in the Supreme Court" over the issue. The Chief Minister was referring to the Andhra Pradesh High Court's October 1 order striking down two government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local body elections. The court held that the reservation arrangement was contrary to the legal framework governing reservations and directed the state government and the State Election Commission to initiate the local body election process within six weeks. The High Court observed that total reservations should remain within the 50 per cent ceiling prescribed by the Supreme Court and questioned the adequacy of the empirical data relied upon by the state government to justify the quota. Naidu said the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh remained committed to ensuring justice for BC communities and promoting their economic, political and social advancement. He also referred to the government's recruitment initiatives, including appointments through the District Selection Committee (DSC), while alleging that legal challenges had delayed such measures. The Chief Minister assured BC communities that his government would continue working towards greater political representation and welfare opportunities for them. The High Court's ruling came after petitions challenged the government's orders providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local body elections. The court had earlier sought data and statistics from the state government explaining the legal and factual basis for fixing the quota at 34 per cent. The court also directed that the local body election process should not be held up on account of the ongoing electoral-roll revision process, and asked the State Election Commission to proceed in accordance with the applicable legal requirements. (ANI)
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