The decision of the Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, to approach the Supreme Court on Saturday challenging the state High Court’s decision to strike down government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections is believed to be more of a face-saving measure than an attempt to secure legal relief.
According to official reports, the Chief Minister has directed officials to file the petition in the Supreme Court by Saturday afternoon.
Legal experts cited by the government said that if the petition is filed on Saturday, there is a possibility of the matter coming up for hearing before the Supreme Court next week.
Naidu has also directed the government to appoint senior lawyers to represent the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Administration departments before the Supreme Court.
He held discussions with legal experts in Delhi on Friday morning regarding the legal course of action.
According to analysts, Naidu may not secure any relief from the Supreme Court because the High Court struck down the government orders on 34 per cent reservation based on an earlier Supreme Court judgment.
“However, Naidu has been left with no option but to move the Supreme Court, irrespective of whether he gets approval for the GOs providing an enhanced quota for BCs. If he does not approach the court, he may face criticism that he failed to explore all legal options and was not sincere about providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs,” an analyst said.
