Telangana Gram Panchayat Polls 2025: SEC issues election notice for phase 1

The Telangana State Election Commission on Tuesday issued the schedule for the upcoming Gram Panchayat elections, announcing that polling will take place on December 11, 14 and 17. Voters will elect representatives for 12,728 sarpanch posts and 1,12,242 ward positions.

State Election Commissioner I. Rani Kumudini said the model code of conduct has come into immediate effect across the state.

Around 1.66 crore rural voters are eligible to participate in the three-phase elections.

For the second phase, nomination papers can be filed from November 30, with December 6 set as the final date for withdrawal. Nominations for the third and final phase will be accepted from December 3, and candidates can withdraw their papers until December 9.

The Telangana Cabinet on November 17 decided to hold only Gram Panchayat elections in December to ensure that the Rs 3,000 crore grant due from the Centre does not lapse. The allocation—tied to the term of the 15th Finance Commission, which ends on March 31, 2026—must be utilised before the deadline.

The government further stated that elections for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and municipal bodies will be scheduled after the High Court delivers its final ruling on the 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs). The court has directed that local body polls must comply with the 50 per cent overall cap on reservations.

In its notification, the SEC earmarked 17.08 per cent of Gram Panchayat seats for BCs. Of the total 12,735 Gram Panchayats, 2,176 have been reserved for BC candidates.

Among the 31 districts going to the polls, Siddipet has the highest BC reservation at 26.772 per cent, while Bhadradri Kothagudem has no Gram Panchayat reserved for BCs.