Congress Outmanoeuvres Rivals With Ordinance Decision

The state government's decision to take the ordinance route to implement 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies instead of waiting for the BJP-led Union government to clear the state's Bill is being seen by analysts as a calculated political shot devised by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, with some even calling it a "masterstroke."

- IREDDY SRINIVAS REDDY @Hyderabad

By circumventing legislative processes, the move has not only outmanoeuvred the BJP and BRS but also redrawn the contours of caste-based electoral politics in the state, insist analysts.

The ordinance, which amends the Panchayat Raj Act, signals more than just administrative urgency; it's a tactical move aimed at catching rivals off-guard. By doing so ahead of local body polls, the Congress is attempting to project itself as the only party willing to act decisively on social justice, while forcing the opposition into reactive mode.

The BJP, after initially welcoming the ordinance, has begun hedging its support, raising doubts over its legal sustainability. It also accused the Congress of using BC welfare as a pre-election stunt, pointing out the party's failure to conduct a caste census during its decades-long rule at the Centre.

On its part, the BRS has largely remained quiet, choosing instead to highlight procedural inconsistencies by questioning why an ordinance was needed when a Bill on the same issue was already pending with the Union government.