Telangana Bandh today: Here’s what is closed and what remains open

The Telangana government stated that it will join the statewide bandh to protest judicial involvement in Backward Class (BC) reservation today, Saturday, October 18.

The statewide bandh is also supported by the opposition parties, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The shutdown has the potential to disrupt public transport and market activities, NDTV reports.

What remains closed

Schools in Telangana are already closed for Diwali holidays, so they are less likely to face disruptions in their activities. 

However, all government offices will stay open.

Public transportation services, such as RTC buses, may operate on a limited schedule, so commuters should gain clarity on timings before making travel arrangements. Hospitals and other emergency services will continue to operate as usual.

Shops and markets in central Hyderabad will be closed.

What happened

The bandh comes as the Telangana High Court sets a two-week deadline for the state election commission (SEC) to report on how the local body elections will proceed under the existing reservation framework.

The High Court set a deadline for the SEC to deliver a compliance report on the court's earlier instruction. This order directs the SEC to hold local body elections, including those for Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies, under the existing reservation pattern rather than the increased quota suggested by the state government.

On October 9, the high court issued an interim stay on Government Order No. 9, which aimed to increase BC reservation in local bodies from 25 per cent to 42 per cent.

The order was stayed by the high court because the proposed 42 per cent BC quota, when combined with current reservations for SCs and STs, would bring the total reservation to 67 per cent, which violates the Supreme Court's mandatory 50 per cent constitutional ceiling in general areas.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to the state government by refusing to overturn the high court's interim stay and underlining that the elections must take place in accordance with current quotas.

Congress leaders stated that the party is firm in its stand for the expanded 42 per cent reservations for BCs. By participating in the shutdown, the state administration hopes to redirect attention away from itself while assuring the BC community of its policy commitment. 

Faced with a double setback from the high court and the Supreme Court, the government has planned an important Cabinet meeting for October 23.