Hyderabad: Telangana is set to witness a wave of electoral activity in the New Year, with the State government finalizing arrangements for local body elections. The phased process, beginning with gram panchayat polls after mid-January, will cover elections for Panchayats, MPTCs, ZPTCs, municipalities, and municipal corporations.
Administrative Reforms Ahead of Elections
In anticipation of the elections, the government has introduced key amendments to the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Acts, including:
- Reducing the reservation rotation period from 10 years to five years.
- Ensuring each mandal has at least five MPTC seats.
- Incorporating 80 villages into urban bodies.
- Creating 12 new municipalities and upgrading two into corporations.
Plans are also underway to establish 200 new gram panchayats in Adilabad, Asifabad, and Mulugu districts. Approval for these new panchayats is expected through a special ordinance, with elections potentially conducted alongside existing ones. If finalized, Telangana will have a total of 13,191 gram panchayats.
Focus on Backward Classes (BCs) Reservation
The reservation process for Backward Classes (BCs) is being conducted in compliance with the Supreme Court’s triple-test criterion. A dedicated BC commission is working on finalizing quotas based on data from the State’s comprehensive household survey. The report will be approved by the government before being submitted to the Election Commission, which will release the election schedule.
Political Strategies Intensify
The ruling Congress government is leveraging key welfare promises, including:
- Implementing Rythu Bharosa benefits.
- Clearing pending payments for former sarpanches.
- Distributing new ration cards.
Meanwhile, the opposition BRS is focusing on highlighting the government’s shortcomings compared to its tenure under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao. Both parties have mobilized grassroots cadres for voter outreach and intensified campaign strategies.
Election Arrangements by State Election Commission
The State Election Commission is planning gram panchayat elections in three phases, using ballot papers:
- Pink ballot papers for Sarpanch candidates.
- White ballot papers for ward members.
Key preparations include:
- Procuring 70,000 ballot boxes from Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
- Managing elections for 12,815 gram panchayats, 1.14 lakh wards, 538 ZPTCs, and 5,817 MPTCs.
If the number of local bodies increases, arrangements will be adjusted accordingly.
District-Level Preparations
District administrations have accelerated efforts by:
- Publishing village-wise voter lists.
- Setting up polling stations.
- Appointing nodal officers to ensure smooth elections.
With 1.67 crore rural voters, the elections are poised to shape Telangana’s political and administrative landscape significantly.
