With local body elections expected to be held in the last week of December, the Telangana government is preparing to give significantly higher political representation to Backward Classes (BCs), particularly the Most Backward Classes (MBCs).
Senior officials indicated that the government is keen on ensuring that MBC communities, traditionally under-represented in elected bodies, receive their rightful share this time. An indicator of this is the discussion of the Dedicated Commission report in the recent Cabinet, which sought a detailed report on the political representation of various Backward Classes (BC) communities. The government has also sought a new report from the Commission to proceed with the elections, and it was submitted a couple of days ago.
A Dedicated Commission is tasked with studying caste-wise demographic details, and the government plans to use this data to accurately assess the political representation of MBCs and plug the gaps in the Congress party’s framework.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has already taken a firm stand that 42% of positions in local bodies will be reserved for BCs from the party’s side, due to constitutional constraints imposed by the Supreme Court’s 50% cap. He is reportedly keen on ensuring that MBCs get substantial opportunities within this allocation, which officials believe could effectively bring BC representation close to the 50% mark.
The urgency with which the State Election Commission (SEC) has accelerated preparations also indicates that the sarpanch elections will be held in December. The State Election Commissioner held a comprehensive review attended by Chief Secretary A. Ramakrishna Rao, Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy, and senior officials. The discussions focused on key aspects of the election process, including voter-list objections, polling station arrangements, reservation procedures, and overall law and order.
A day earlier, the SEC also released the schedule for publication of electoral rolls across all gram panchayats. District Panchayat officers (DPOs) were instructed to thoroughly examine the existing electoral rolls and rectify any mis-mappings. They have been directed to republish updated photo electoral rolls.
The SEC wants the requests and objections should be disposed of by the concerned DPOs by November 22 and the final re-publication of updated photo electoral rolls is completed by November 23. Polling stations will also be updated based on voter strength.
Published – November 21, 2025 08:50 pm IST
