Coalition government misled BCs on 34% local body quota, alleges Jagan

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday (October 1, 2026) accused the coalition government of misleading the BCs by issuing orders providing for 34% reservation in the local bodies without a legally sustainable framework.

In a post on X, Mr. Jagan, while reacting to the Andhra Pradesh High Court striking down the government orders, demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu apologise to the BCs. He said the government should have anticipated the legal challenge in view of earlier Supreme Court judgments.

If the government was genuinely committed to 34% reservation, it should have persuaded the Centre to create a constitutionally and legally sustainable mechanism, he said, and questioned whether Mr. Naidu had raised the issue with the Central government during his Delhi visits or through Union Ministers.

Mr. Jagan said the YSRCP government had enacted a law in August 2019 providing for 50% reservation to the BCs, SCs, STs and minorities in nominated posts and contract works in corporations, boards, societies and committees. He said his government had also established 56 BC corporations covering 139 communities. He questioned why the NDA government had not implemented the legislation.

During the YSRCP government’s tenure, four of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats filled were given to the BCs, while BCs received 28 of 58 MLC positions, he said. The YSRCP chief also cited representation given to the BCs in the local bodies. Mr. Jagan claimed that BC families received welfare benefits worth ₹1.82 lakh crore through various schemes, including Amma Vodi, Rythu Bharosa, Cheyutha, Aasara, Nethanna Nestham and Vahana Mitra.

He alleged that the present government had weakened these welfare measures and failed to fulfil several promises. Mr. Jagan demanded that Mr. Naidu persuade the Centre to bring necessary constitutional and legal amendments to ensure 34% reservation for BCs.