Hold polls to local bodies within three months: Telangana HC to government, SEC

Telangana High Court on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) directed the State government to conduct elections to local bodies within three months. Justice T. Madhavi Devi, pronouncing verdict in a batch of writ petitions filed by former sarpanches of six different village panchayats of the State, instructed the government to prepare the lists of voters and reservations for different categories like women and Backward Classes within a month from the date of receiving the judgement copy.

The judge also directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to convene the polls to local bodies within two months of receiving all the details pertaining to voters list and reservations.

The six sarpanches, whose terms expired towards the end of 2024, moved the High Court by way of writ petitions seeking a direction to hold elections to the village panchayats (rural local bodies) since their terms ended.

They contended that government appointed special officers in the place of sarpanches to perform duties relating to administrative and financial duties as their terms expired. This appointment of special officers was against the provisions of Panchayat Raj Act, they argued. They wanted the High Court either to extend their term or conduct the elections to local bodies immediately.