HC directs Telangana govt to issue notification for local body polls schedule

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court, on Friday, ordered the State government to issue the notification for the schedule for local body (panchayat) elections.

The HC Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin, directed the Telangana government to release the schedule for conducting panchayat elections.

The Division Bench was hearing a writ petition filed by Renka Surender, an advocate from Kotha Kommugudem, Luxittipet Mandal, Mancherial District, highlighting the delay by the Telangana SEC in issuing the notification.

Row over BC quota

The petitioner further contended that the Chief Justice Bench of Telangana HC had stayed the GO 9, 41 and 42, dated September 26, allocating 42 per cent reservations to the BC, clearly directing the State Election Commission to proceed with the elections by converting the excess reserved seats (violating 50 per cent ceiling) into Open Category Seats.

The counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the Supreme Court has also dismissed the SLP filed by the Telangana government on BC reservations.

The State government should come out with a fresh schedule for local body elections, earmarking reservations to BCs, and confining reservations to a 50 per cent cap.

SEC says it has sent correspondence to the State government

Vidya Sagar, Standing Counsel for the State Election Commission, informed the court that it has already addressed a letter to the Telangana government asking it to send the schedule for local body elections, confining the reservations to 50 per cent.

After hearing the contentions of the counsel for the petitioner and the State Election Commission, the court adjourned the writ petition by two weeks, directing the State government to come out with a fresh schedule for local body elections.