The Andhra Pradesh High Court has taken a significant step in the ongoing debate over caste census and political reservations. On Monday, the court directed the state government to submit concrete details on whether it has constituted a dedicated commission specifically for the enumeration of Backward Classes (BC). This directive came during a hearing on a petition that seeks to tie the conduct of local body elections to the completion of a comprehensive BC census.
Petition Seeks Census Before Elections and Reservations
The petition was filed by Ala Venkateswarlu, who serves as the Andhra Pradesh state president of the All India Backward Classes Federation. In his plea to the court, Venkateswarlu has sought a clear direction to the state government. He argues that elections for local bodies, along with the implementation of reservations in education and government jobs, should proceed only after a thorough BC census is completed. This, he contends, is essential for ensuring that reservation policies accurately reflect the current social and educational backwardness of communities.
Legal Arguments and Court's Scrutiny
Arguing for the petitioner, senior counsel K G Krishna Murthy presented a crucial constitutional point. He emphasized that local body elections should be held only after authorities prepare a definitive list identifying the socially and educationally backward classes, as mandated under Article 342(A)(2) of the Indian Constitution. This article deals with the specification of socially and educationally backward classes by the President.
However, the bench, led by Justice Ravi Cheemalapati, raised objections to the petition covering multiple broad issues. The court clarified that the current petition should be narrowly focused on the matter of local body elections only, separating it from wider questions on employment and education reservations for the time being.
Next Steps and Implications
Following the arguments, Justice Cheemalapati issued a specific order to the state government. The court has asked the government to furnish details regarding the constitution of a commission for the BC caste census. This information is now crucial for the next phase of the legal process. The court has scheduled the next hearing in this important case for January 19.
The court's intervention highlights the growing legal and political pressure to conduct a detailed BC census in Andhra Pradesh. The outcome of this case could have significant ramifications for the timing of upcoming local body polls and the framework for reservation policies in the state, making it a closely watched development.
