Andhra Pradesh government is set to suffer setback for 34% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in upcoming local body elections after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with earlier order by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The development is a serious blow to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is on the verge of local body elections in November. Reservation has become a political and legal battle for the government, because the BC community is important in Andhra Pradesh’s political field.
The state government had proposed increasing reservation for the Backward Classes to 34% in local body elections and it was working towards better representation of the community in local government. But the proposal was upended by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in which the government was refused to approve the increased reservation.
The High Court said the total reservation in local bodies must not go beyond 50% and this would have been a roadblock to the government. The government had to go to the Supreme Court for relief before elections were to take place.
Andhra Pradesh government then filed the petition to the Supreme Court for intervention, and for the state to keep its 34% BC reservation. They hoped the country's highest court would consider it and allow the state to proceed with its reservation plan. But the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the High Court order, and the government did not achieve the judicial relief it had sought. So the proposed reservation scheme is now under heavy threat ahead of local elections.
The recent development could affect the political calculations of the ruling NDA alliance - TDP, Jana Sena Party and Bharatiya Janata Party - which has been in power since the early days. Reservation for Backward Classes has long been an important issue in Andhra Pradesh politics as political parties have been saying their resolve to fight for social justice, representation and opportunity for the poor.
For instance, the TDP has long been supported by many sections of BC people, which is why government's proposal for higher reservation percentage was also politically significant in addition to its administrative implications.
For the government, the immediate task is to figure out how local body election will proceed in the new legal framework that will be met. If 34% reservation is not implemented as proposed, the authorities will have to go through a reservation system that is in accordance with the court orders and existing law.
The true effect on each local body will depend on the rules, the reservation calculation and election notifications. The Supreme Court's ruling is not the final decision and does not, by itself, decide the election outcome or how people from any particular community will respond.
The timing of the setback is particularly significant since the local body elections are expected to take place in November. With the election schedule approaching, the government has limited time to address the administrative and legal issues surrounding reservations. Local body elections are politically significant as they determine representation in institutions that influence village-level administration, municipal services, infrastructure development and other public welfare activities.
Political parties are therefore likely to closely monitor the reservation issue as they prepare their candidates and campaign strategies.
Young Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had also issued a call to the party leaders and cadres for a major effort in the upcoming local elections. The NDA would be able to contest the elections with a good head start but final result would ultimately depend on the election process: the candidate selection, local alliances, public sentiments and campaign performance. The YSRCP will therefore be able to use the elections to challenge the ruling alliance and demonstrate its organisational strength at the grassroots.
The Supreme Court’s decision has brought back the Andhra Pradesh government’s BC reservation proposal to the forefront. The government will have to choose between the political will to bring in more people and its legal obligation to guarantee local bodies the right to reservation and will have the support of the people that are most affected by BC reservation. Opposition parties may take advantage of this to question the government on its approach to government and whether it can carry out promises made to Backward Classes.
Finally, in the end the situation of this setback will become clear as the state gets closer to the local body elections. Reservation, for the ruling alliance, the opposition and different communities, is a major issue. But whether it changes the political equation in any measure is not clear. Andhra Pradesh’s November polls will give us a better glimpse into how voters rate the government’s performance, its social justice promises and the general political climate in the state.
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