The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday questioned the rationale behind the demand for a 5% reservation for Kapus under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category in the state.
During the tenure of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu (2014–2019), a decision was made to allocate 5% of the 10% EWS quota to Kapus.
However, this allocation was later revoked by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government under Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, citing the need to refer the Kapu quota issue to the Centre to avoid legal complications.
Even after Naidu returned to power in June 2024, the Kapu quota was not reinstated due to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former MP and Kapu leader Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah, which is currently pending in the High Court.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the High Court raised concerns about the legality of granting 5% of the EWS quota exclusively to Kapus.
The court directed the state government to submit a comprehensive report on petitions challenging both the 103rd Constitutional Amendment and the 5% Kapu reservation law in the Supreme Court.
Jogaiah argued for the enforcement of the 5% Kapu reservation under the EWS quota, while several other petitions challenged the allocation.
Advocates Ugranarsimha and Karumanchi Indranil Babu contended that allocating half of the EWS quota to a single community was impermissible and unjustified.
The court observed that reserving 5% of the 10% EWS quota for a single community was inappropriate and ordered a detailed report on the issue.
The hearing was adjourned to January 29 for further proceedings.
