FGG Urges SEC to Conduct Gram Panchayat Polls Without Waiting for Telangana Govt Approval

Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) urged the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) to immediately conduct elections to Gram Panchayats, which have been pending for over two years, without waiting for permission from the State Government.

In a letter addressed to the State Election Commissioner, FGG president M. Padmanabha Reddy cited Article 243-K of the Constitution, which vests the superintendence, direction and control of Panchayat elections entirely in the SEC. He emphasized that the Commission enjoys full autonomy and does not require the government’s approval once elections are due. “The delay in holding Gram Panchayat elections has led to serious administrative and financial consequences. For want of elected bodies, the Central government is not releasing funds to Gram Panchayats, affecting the delivery of civic amenities in rural areas”, he pointed out.

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The FGG president observed that the issue of 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) has been cited as the reason for the delay, but both the Supreme Court and High Court have clarified that there is ‘no bar’ on conducting elections based on existing reservations while the matter is pending before the courts. “Despite clear judicial directions, it is reported that the State Election Commission has written to the government seeking permission to hold elections, which is contrary to the Constitutional mandate. Due to this inaction, the State has already lost thousands of crores of rupees in the form of Central funds meant for Panchayats”, he noted.

The FGG also referred to the High Court’s directive to the SEC to conduct Gram Panchayat elections by September 2025 and expressed concern that the Commission appeared to be functioning under the influence of the government rather than exercising its independent powers.

Clarifying the organization’s position, Reddy said, “Forum for Good Governance is not against 42 percent BC reservations – we welcome it. But since the Government Order providing for such reservation has not yet attained legal sanctity, elections should be conducted under the existing system until the issue is resolved.” The Forum appealed to the State Election Commission to uphold the spirit of the Constitution and act independently by conducting the long-pending Gram Panchayat elections at the earliest, thereby restoring democratic governance in rural local bodies.