Telangana local body elections: Plans afoot for July polls amid fund crunch, mounting pressure from Congress leaders

Hyderabad’s Congress government plans rural local body elections for July-August 2025, spurred by financial pressures and local demands. Delays from a caste census and BC reservation issues persist, but Chief Minister Reddy has ordered preparations to restore governance and secure Central funds

Hyderabad: After much dilly-dallying, the Congress government appears to have decided to conduct the long-delayed elections to rural local bodies in July-August this year. The decision comes amid mounting financial commitments and also pressure from local leaders.

Sources confirmed that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has issued instructions to party functionaries and also senior government officials to expedite the process in the wake of previous delays caused by the caste census and the push for increased BC reservations.

The Telangana State Election Commission had already made logistical arrangements two months ago, including printing ballot papers and finalising polling stations. However, the polls were deferred due to the caste census and legislative processes aimed at enhancing BC representation in local bodies.

While the Assembly passed bills seeking 42 per cent BC quota in local bodies, education, and employment, they are still pending for the Central government’s approval. With the union government now planning a nationwide caste census alongside the population census, which is expected to stretch over another two years, the State has decided not to wait further.

The term of gram panchayats ended in January last year, while that of mandal and zilla parishads ended in July last year. In the absence of elected local bodies, the State has faced delays in Central fund disbursement, estimated to be around Rs.1,500 crore annually. Senior officials are learnt to have appraised the Chief Minister in this regard and in turn, he held a meeting with senior functionaries of the Congress and decided to go ahead with the elections.

The delay in Central funds, coupled with poor financial condition of the State government, development and welfare activities in rural areas have taken a severe beating. The State government cannot afford further financial losses, and the officials emphasised the urgency to restore functional rural governance, sources said.

Although Congress BC leaders have demanded 42 per cent ticket allocation in the upcoming polls, they reportedly agreed to proceed under the existing reservation system, if necessary. Sources said that with no approval from the Centre on BC reservations, the Congress government might go ahead with the existing reservations.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Sarpanch Association has warned to obstruct the elections unless their dues are cleared. The government is treading carefully on the Rs.1,200 crore in pending bills owed to former sarpanches.