Telangana High Court Raps State Over Delay in Municipal Polls, Demands Explanation

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday pulled up the state government for failing to conduct municipal elections within the stipulated time and demanded an explanation for the prolonged delay. The court expressed displeasure at the Congress government’s inaction despite earlier directions to proceed with the polls.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Apresh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin was hearing a petition challenging the State Election Commission’s (SEC) decision to postpone the elections.

During the proceedings, the petitioner argued that the SEC’s move to suspend the electoral process was unconstitutional and violated Article 243-E of the Indian Constitution. He reminded the court that the tenure of the municipal bodies had ended in January 2024, and under the law, fresh elections should have been held within six months of their dissolution.

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The petition also noted that, in its interim order dated October 9, the court had already permitted the state to proceed with a revised polling schedule after reducing the number of reserved seats. However, the SEC had still not taken any follow-up action.

Representing the commission, counsel explained that the SEC was awaiting a government decision in light of the stay order on GO No. 9, issued on September 26, 2025. This explanation, however, did not satisfy the bench.

Visibly irritated, the Chief Justice questioned the government’s counsel, asking why the administration had not complied with the court’s interim directive to hold elections. “Are you aware of the court’s interim order? What steps have you taken to implement it?” the bench asked pointedly.

Responding, the state’s lawyer said preparations for conducting the polls were underway and requested a week’s time to obtain further instructions from the government.

Accepting the request, the bench adjourned the matter to November 11 but issued a firm warning to the government. “If you are confident of receiving instructions within a week, that’s fine. Otherwise, we can grant more time—but you must come back with a concrete response,” the Chief Justice remarked.

The court’s observation has intensified expectations that both the state government and the State Election Commission will clarify their position and possibly announce a timeline for the long-pending municipal elections at the next hearing.