Local Body Polls to Begin with 42% BC Quota in Telangana, Elections to Be Completed by August

Local Body Polls | Hyderabad, July 11: The Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government has approved 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections. The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, finalized this crucial decision during a high-level meeting held at the Telangana Secretariat.

The government aims to complete the entire election process for local bodies by August 2025, bringing clarity and momentum to the long-awaited polls. This move is being seen as a historic decision in favour of the BC communities, who constitute a significant portion of the state’s population.

The cabinet approved amendments to the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 to align it with the revised reservation structure. The new quota will apply to Gram Panchayats, Mandal Parishads, and Zilla Parishads, with the State Election Commission gearing up to conduct elections for 12,777 Gram Panchayats, 5,982 Mandal Parishad seats, and 585 ZPTC seats.

Local Body Polls

Earlier this year, the Telangana Assembly had passed two key bills ensuring 42% reservation for BCs in education, employment, and local governance, based on the empirical data from a caste census conducted under the State Planning Department. The move aligns with Supreme Court guidelines, which call for data-backed reservation implementation.

The High Court recently directed the state government to finalize BC reservations before the end of July, specifically concerning Panchayat elections. In response, the cabinet resolved to issue an ordinance formalizing the 42% quota, thereby triggering the election schedule process.

Ministers Vakiti Srihari and Ponnam Prabhakar hailed the cabinet’s landmark decision, with Ponnam expressing gratitude to the CM and colleagues for fulfilling a promise made in the Kamareddy Declaration.

Once the ordinance is issued, the Panchayat Raj Department will release detailed reservation guidelines for each tier of the local bodies. This will pave the way for a smooth and inclusive election process across Telangana.

With the framework in place, the Revanth Reddy government has set the stage for empowering BC communities through enhanced representation and active participation in grassroots governance.

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