Hyderabad.27.09.2025: The Telangana government has issued a Government Order (GO) providing 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies. Following this order, the government has written to the State Election Commission (SEC), asking it to conduct the local body elections within 15 to 18 days. The SEC is expected to release the election notification and schedule together on Saturday.
High-level SEC meeting today
The SEC Commissioner will chair a meeting at 11 a.m. with the Chief Secretary, DGP, Panchayat Raj, Revenue, district collectors and SPs. Officials will finalise whether to hold the polls in a single phase or multiple phases. The election notification is likely to be released the same evening. Once released, the election code of conduct will come into effect across the state, except in Hyderabad and Medchal urban districts.
Nominations are expected to open within three days of the notification. Voter lists with photographs are already available on the SEC’s ‘T-Poll’ website. Training for election staff has been completed and arrangements for ballot papers, ballot boxes, counting centres and security are being finalised.
Which elections will come first?
There is no final clarity yet on the sequence of polls. Sources indicate the government is inclined to hold MPTC and ZPTC elections on party symbols first, followed by Gram Panchayat elections within about a week. Officials believe holding MPTC and ZPTC first may have political advantages.
On Friday, Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary N. Sridhar and PRRD Director G. Srujana met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who directed them to make all necessary arrangements.
Law and order review
Election Commissioner Rani Kumudi met DGP Jitender and reviewed the law and order situation. The DGP said the current police force is sufficient for election security and no additional deployment is necessary. The Commissioner also spoke with State Intelligence Chief Shivdhar Reddy about preparedness.
Reservation decision and implementation
The BC Welfare Department had earlier submitted a report recommending 42% reservation for BCs in education and employment. The government issued a GO through the General Administration Department (GAD) and the Panchayat Raj Department applied the same quota to local bodies. District collectors will publish gazette notifications for their districts, which will pave the way for elections.
Seats up for election
- 31 Zilla Parishads (ZPPs)
- 565 ZPTC seats (one seat in Mangapet mandal, Mulugu district, is stayed by the court)
- 5,763 MPTC seats (seats in Mangapet mandal are stayed)
- 12,760 Gram Panchayats
- 1,12,534 wards
Background
The last local body elections in Telangana were held in 2019, when the state had 570 ZPTC seats, 5,817 MPTC seats and 12,848 Gram Panchayats. Since then, several Gram Panchayats have been merged into municipalities, slightly changing the numbers of rural seats.
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