Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has made a decisive move regarding the panchayat elections. In a meeting held today with officials, he emphasized the urgency of proceeding with the local body elections. Noting that it has been six months since the sarpanches’ terms ended, he instructed officials to maintain the existing reservation policies without any changes. The elections are set to take place in August. Minister Seethakka and various officials were present at the meeting.
Since the sarpanches’ terms ended in February, the government has assigned special officers to manage panchayat administration. The terms of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) concluded on the 4th of this month, with MPDO officers and collectors taking charge of mandal and zilla parishads, respectively. With the decision to hold panchayat elections in August, the tenure of these special officers will conclude, and new sarpanches will assume office next month.
The previous KCR government introduced a law stipulating a single reservation for two terms in panchayat elections. Since its implementation, elections have been held only once under this law. The Revanth Reddy government has decided to uphold this reservation policy, aiming to avoid any legal challenges. Following the panchayat elections, mandal and zilla parishad elections are also expected to take place.