Telangana gears up for local body elections

Telangana is poised for a significant electoral exercise as the state government prepares to conduct long-overdue local body elections. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced on Sunday that the election notification will be released by the end of June 2025, with further clarity on dates expected after the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday, June 16.

Addressing Congress leaders in Khammam’s Palair constituency, Minister Ponguleti urged party workers to unite and prepare for the polls, emphasizing the need to set aside internal differences to ensure the party’s success.

The elections will be conducted in phases, starting with Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC), followed by Gram Panchayat and municipal elections.

Background and Delays

The local body elections, including those for 12,815 Gram Panchayats, 5,817 MPTCs, 538 ZPTCs, municipalities, and municipal corporations, have faced repeated delays. The tenure of Gram Panchayats expired in December 2023, and MPTC/ZPTC bodies lapsed in May 2023. Earlier promises, including a February 15 notification hinted at by Ponguleti, were postponed due to the need for a fresh caste census to finalize Backward Classes (BC) reservations, as mandated by the Supreme Court’s triple-test criterion.

The Congress government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has accelerated preparations by amending the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Acts, introducing changes like five-year reservation rotation cycles and creating 12 new municipalities and 200 new Gram Panchayats. The state has also prepared 70,000 ballot boxes, with pink ballots for Sarpanch candidates and white for ward members, to facilitate the three-phase Gram Panchayat polls.

Political context

The ruling Congress is leveraging schemes like Rythu Bharosa and Indiramma Indlu to bolster public support, while the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is focusing on the government’s alleged failures.