Hyderabad (Telangana) [India] July 10 (ANI): Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced that a significant step towards implementing 42% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections has been taken in the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

The decision was made under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who instructed officials to take all necessary actions to implement the reservation in the upcoming elections.

Minister Prabhakar credited Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for the promise made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which led to this step for OBC reservation.

The government has directed officials to take all necessary steps at the ground level to ensure the implementation of the 42% reservation for OBCs in the local body elections, which will begin immediately across the state.

While speaking to ANI, Minister Prabhakar said, 'Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi Ji, the commitment made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra is now being implemented by the Telangana government, which has taken a cabinet decision to provide 42% reservation for OBCs, setting a role model. Today, under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, the entire cabinet has given instructions to take all necessary actions to implement this 42% reservation in the upcoming local body elections. The government has ordered that all required steps be taken at the ground level, and this process will begin immediately across the state.'

The minister emphasised that the government is committed to fulfilling its promise, made by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on February 4, 2024, within the promised timeframe of one year.

'As promised in Revanth Reddy's declaration on February 4, 2024, this promise, from decision to implementation, is being fulfilled within one year. No matter what anyone says, we will deliver on this commitment.'

Earlier in March, the Congress-led Telangana government had passed two bills, The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the State) Bill 2025 and The Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill 2025.

Both the bills aim to give 42 per cent reservation to Backwards Classes, 15 pc to Scheduled Castes, and 10 pc to Scheduled Tribes in various educational institutions, local bodies, and in government jobs.The bills have been passed in both the Telangana Assembly and the Legislative Council, and is awaiting approval from the Centre.

Just a day after the bills were passed, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that the 'revolutionary' promise of 42 per cent reservation would not only break the limit of 49 per cent reservation but also empower long-oppressed communities.CM Reddy said in a post on X, 'The revolutionary promise of 42 per cent reservations for Backward Castes not only finally hopes to end the legal glass-ceiling of 49% on quotas but also moves towards empowering the long-oppressed communities' resources & opportunities in proportion to their percentage in the population.' (ANI)