BC candidates won 52.75% of general seats in Telangana panchayat polls, says Niranjan

Hyderabad: The recently concluded Telangana Gram Panchayat Elections saw that Backward Classes (BC) candidates securing 52.75 per cent of the seats in general category, proving their winning capability even without the aid of reserved quotas, said chairman G Niranjan and members of the Telangana Backward Class Commission.

Congress winning performance in panchayat polls

In the recently concluded polls in Telangana, Congress got 66 per cent of the votes in rural Telangana. Congress-backed candidates won 7,527 seats, while Congress rebels secured 808 seats.

Collectively, they won 8,335 panchayats. In the 94 Assembly Constituencies where local body polls occurred, Congress achieved a majority in 87 seats.

Niranjan said, “Despite the 42 per cent reservation policy being caught in legal hurdles, BC candidates have emerged victorious in record-breaking numbers, showcasing a powerful wave of political consciousness across the state.”

What has the election shown?

The election has shown that the BC candidates have winning capability, said Telangana Backward Classes Commission members Rapolu Jayaprakash, Tirumalagiri Surender and Balalakshmi Rangu.

The members explained:

General category: BC candidates secured 52.75 per cent of seats in the general categories where they contested without the aid of the reserved quota.

State-wide impact: Overall, BC candidates won 39.51 per cent of the total seats.

Excluding tribal districts: The tribal dominated areas are excluded and the BC winning percentage jumps to 45.25 per cent.

Districts: In 18 districts, more than 45 per cent of the elected sarpanches are from BC communities and in 10 districts, they are crossing the mark of 50 per cent.

The Commission noted that these results are an ‘eye-opener’ for those who opposed the 42 per cent reservation, demonstrating that the community is no longer reliant solely on mandates to secure leadership.

Commission asks govt to act

Niranjan said, “Henceforth, the government should not use court-related excuses and must ensure that BC reservations in ZPTC and MPTC elections are not reduced below 42 per cent. The State Government should consult the Central Government on this issue, bring these election results to the Centre’s notice, increase pressure, and take steps to ensure that this matter is included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.”

Challenge the five-judge bench, says BC panel

The commission advised the State government to challenge the five-judge Constitution Bench judgment in the Krishnamurthy case, which directed that reservations should not exceed 50 per cent, by filing a review petition in the Supreme Court, seeking reconsideration by a larger seven-judge Constitution Bench.