The Andhra Pradesh High Court on October 1 set aside government orders increasing Backward Classes reservation in local bodies. The Indian Express and The Federal described the disputed provisions as thirty-four per cent in rural bodies and thirty-three point three three per cent in urban bodies, citing the overall fifty-per-cent reservation ceiling in the court’s reasoning.
The court directed the State government and State Election Commission to begin the local-election process within six weeks. This is a deadline to start the process, not a finding that all polling must be completed in that period. Reports also said the court rejected a request to postpone elections until revision of the voter rolls was finished.
The government announced that it would challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. That is an appeal plan, not confirmation that a higher court has already granted relief. The opposition YSR Congress Party criticised the legal basis of the government orders and demanded political representation for Backward Classes. The competing political responses do not change the limited procedural meaning of the six-week direction.