Hyderabad, Oct. 10 -- The Telangana high court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the conduct of local body elections in the state with 42% reservations to the other backward classes, hours after the state election commission (SEC) issued notification commencing the process of the first phase of elections.

People familiar with the matter said a division bench of the high court comprising chief justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and justice GM Mohiuddin also stayed the government order issued on September 26 providing 42% reservations to the OBCs in the local bodies.

Allowing the batch of petitions filed challenging the 42% reservations to the backward classes in the elections and after hearing at length the petitioners and the state counse...