‘Why No Elections Yet?’: High Court Questions Telangana Govt, SEC
The Hyderabad High Court on Monday expressed serious concerns over the prolonged delay in conducting gram panchayat elections across Telangana, asking the state government and the State Election Commission (SEC) for explanations.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday expressed serious concerns over the prolonged delay in conducting gram panchayat elections across Telangana, asking the state government and the State Election Commission (SEC) for explanations. Despite the government’s earlier assurance that elections would be held by February 2024, no progress has been made.
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Court Questions State on Election Delay
Justice T Madhavi Devi heard a batch of petitions filed by former sarpanches from various districts demanding the immediate conduct of local body elections. The court noted that the term of the elected panchayat representatives ended on January 31, 2024, and as per constitutional provisions, elections should be held within six months.
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The High Court questioned both the government and the SEC over the missed deadline, asking, “Why no action was taken despite assurances made earlier?”
Government Seeks 25 Days, SEC Asks for 2 Months
Additional Advocate General Imran Khan informed the court that the government needs around 25 days to finalize the Backward Classes (BC) reservation list in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment. This involves caste-wise seat declaration for ward members and sarpanches.
Senior Advocate Vidyasagar, representing the SEC, added that the election process could begin only after the government’s approval, and would take about two more months to complete.
Petitioners Allege Constitutional Violation
Petitioners represented by senior advocates J Prabhakar, G Bhaskar Reddy, and Ch Naresh Reddy argued that:
- The delay violates Articles 243E and 243K of the Constitution.
- The Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 mandates timely elections.
- Appointing special officers instead of holding elections is unconstitutional.
They emphasized that only extraordinary situations like natural disasters can justify postponement, citing the Supreme Court verdict in Kishan Singh Tomar vs Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, which mandates that State Election Commissions cannot delay elections citing administrative reasons.
Local Leaders Say They Were Misled
Some former sarpanches mentioned they had personally invested in village development works, relying on government promises of funding via the State Finance Commission—promises that are yet to materialize.
Verdict Reserved
After hearing all parties, the High Court reserved its verdict, signaling a potential judicial push for timely elections if the government and SEC continue to delay.
- Telangana panchayat elections delay
- Hyderabad High Court sarpanch petition
- Gram panchayat elections Telangana
- State Election Commission Telangana
- Article 243E and 243K
- Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018
- Supreme Court Kishan Singh Tomar verdict
- Local body elections 2024
