The Telangana High Court has dismissed a significant petition that sought to question the authority of 32 district collectors in the state. The petition was filed in connection with the government's controversial decision to reduce reservations for Backward Classes (BC) in the upcoming gram panchayat elections.
Court Questions Petitioner's Motive
A division bench comprising Justices P Sam Koshy and Suddala Chalapathi Rao expressed clear displeasure with the petitioner, the Telangana BC Sankshema Sangam. The bench directly questioned the intent behind seeking a writ of quo warranto against the administrative officers. "Do you want them to be removed from office?" the bench asked before proceeding to dismiss the plea. The court underscored that the collectors were performing legitimate administrative duties and were not elected representatives.
The Core of the Controversy
The legal challenge stemmed from the state government's move to reduce BC reservations from 24% to 17% in gram panchayat elections. The petitioners argued this decision was made arbitrarily and executed hastily just days before the state election notification was issued on November 25, 2025. They contended that the reduction was done "in the middle of the night," leaving little time for legal recourse.
Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy, representing the state, successfully argued that a quo warranto writ was not applicable. He clarified that district collectors are administrative officers discharging government orders, not elected officials whose authority can be challenged through this specific legal instrument. The court agreed, noting the cited legal precedents concerning elected representatives were irrelevant in this context.
Timing and Legal Hurdles
The bench also pointed to the timing of the petition as a critical factor in its dismissal. The court observed that the plea was filed after the issuance of the official election notification. This timing, combined with the fact that the petition was directed against the collectors themselves, made it untenable for the court to entertain. The petitioners had also highlighted the state's failure to file a counter-affidavit in related matters concerning the reservation policy.
By dismissing the petition, the Telangana High Court has cleared a major procedural hurdle, allowing the gram panchayat election process to proceed under the revised reservation formula. The ruling reinforces the distinction between challenging government policy and challenging the authority of officers implementing that policy.
