Synopsis : The State Election Commission ignited a firestorm with the Telangana government’s order instituting a 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies. Dubbed the “reservation tsunami” by villagers, it reshaped the political terrain, submerging longstanding aspirations while elevating fresh voices.

In the verdant lowlands of Khammam district of Telangana, the crisp air of late September 2025 carried the scent of impending change as the gram panchayat elections approached.

Slated for early December by the State Election Commission, the polls had ignited a firestorm with the government’s latest Government Order on 25 September, instituting a 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies. This pushed the cumulative quota — encompassing Scheduled Ca

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