Jagan accuses Naidu of betraying BCs over reservation

AMARAVATI YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of betraying Backward Classes (BCs) by failing to deliver on his promise of 34 per cent reservation in local body elections. The former chief minister’s remarks came after the Supreme Court dismissed the state government’s plea challenging an Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling that struck down the enhanced reservation. The High Court had ruled on October 1 that the 34 per cent quota violated the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations in local bodies. In a post on X, Jagan accused Naidu of misleading BC communities with promises of increased representation. “You promised 34% reservations for BCs in local bodies, lured them with that promise and betrayed them,” he wrote, alleging that the Supreme Court’s decision had exposed the government’s failure to fulfil its commitment. Jagan also criticised the state government’s other electoral promises, including its “Super Six” and “Super Seven” commitments. He accused the Naidu government of cancelling welfare schemes introduced during the YSR Congress regime and leaving nearly ₹9,000 crore pending under the Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena schemes. The YSRCP president further alleged that the government had failed to fulfil several commitments made in its election manifesto, which contained 143 promises. He urged Naidu to apologise to the Backward Classes over the reservation issue. Naidu had announced the enhanced quota on August 18, stating that BCs would receive 34 per cent reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban local bodies. However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down two government orders providing the 34 per cent quota, holding that the total reservation for all categories in local bodies should not exceed 50 per cent in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines. The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the state government’s challenge leaves the High Court ruling in place. The issue has intensified the political dispute between the ruling government and the opposition YSR Congress Party over reservations and welfare commitments in Andhra Pradesh.