Hyderabad: The Congress govt’s push for 42% reservation for Backward Classes is drawing sharp criticism from the BJP, which is accusing the ruling party of bypassing due legislative process and indulging in political theatrics.While the Congress aims to elevate the BC quota issue into a nationwide campaign, BJP leaders are cautioning that the move could trigger significant legal challenges, particularly as the proposal threatens to breach the Supreme Court-mandated 50% cap on reservations.BJP state chief N Ramchander Rao has alleged that the Congress govt is intentionally avoiding a direct amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act in the current assembly session. Instead, it has chosen to route the proposal through an ordinance sent to the governor, a move Rao claims is a calculated attempt to dodge legislative scrutiny.Anticipating that the Congress may try to blame the Centre for any obstacles in the implementation of reservations, the BJP has sharpened its position. “We are not opposed to the 42% BC reservation,” Rao clarified, “but we strongly object to the inclusion of 10% political representation for Muslims under the BC quota. Any increased reservation must benefit only the BC communities.”Within party circles, leaders have been asked to question the Congress’s sincerity, especially as the ruling party continues to make lofty promises without addressing the legal complexities involved. “If they try to pin this on us, we will respond firmly. We supported the bill in the assembly, despite our reservations on Muslim inclusion,” BJP leaders reiterated.As the reservation debate heats up, the BJP appears poised to frame the Congress’s move as symbolic and legally untenable, while reaffirming its support for genuine, constitutionally valid BC representation, sources said. The BJP is now closely tracking the Congress govt’s next steps and the governor’s decision on the ordinance. Party sources have raised concerns over the lack of clarity in the ordinance, pointing out that it fails to mention specific reservation percentages. “If they were truly committed to this issue, they would have amended the Panchayat Raj Act directly through the assembly instead of taking a vague, roundabout route,” a senior BJP source said.
