The Telangana Assembly on Tuesday  unanimously passed the Scheduled Caste (SC) Subcategorization Bill, ensuring the distribution of 15 per cent reservation among three subgroups. This landmark decision follows years of struggle, particularly by the Madiga community.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hailed the day as “historic,” with several Dalit MLAs expressing gratitude for fulfilling what once seemed an impossible demand.

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The Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Bill, 2025, aims to provide a more equitable distribution of reservations, recognizing that some SC communities, such as the Madigas, are more socioeconomically disadvantaged than others.

During the Assembly debate, Chief Minister Reddy emphasized the significance of the move, calling it a “permanent solution to a long-pending demand for classification among SC communities.”

He also highlighted the Congress party’s longstanding commitment to Dalit upliftment, recalling that the party had previously appointed Dalit leader Damodaram Sanjeevaiah as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. More recently, Mallikarjun Kharge was named Congress president.

After coming to power, the Congress government presented arguments before the Supreme Court’s seven-judge bench in favor of subcategorization.

Following the court’s directive allowing states to frame their own laws, the Telangana government appointed the one-man Shameem Akhtar Commission to determine the allocation of the 15 per cent  SC reservation among various subcastes.

Under the new framework, a total of 59 SC subcastes have been classified into three groups for equitable distribution. The Chief Minister also assured support for those who lost their lives during the long struggle for categorization, promising priority access to Indiramma Housing and Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Schemes. Additionally, he pledged to enhance the SC quota based on the 2026 census.

“As the Leader of the House, I assure the entire SC community that justice will be delivered under the Indiramma government. We are committed to increasing reservations and implementing them effectively,” said Reddy.

To celebrate the passage of the Bill, the Congress has planned a large public meeting to be addressed by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, positioning itself to gain political mileage from the decision. However, the BJP also played a role in advocating for SC subcategorization.

Prior to the Telangana Assembly elections, Madiga leader Manda Krishna Madiga joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Secunderabad, where Modi had pledged to work toward resolving the issue pending in the Supreme Court.