Telangana panchayat polls nominations hit 1.16 lakh; highest response in Nalgonda
As many as 27,277 nominations were submitted for 4,147 Sarpanch posts, while 89,603 nominations were received for 36,342 ward seats
By - Sistla Dakshina Murthy
Representational Image
Hyderabad: The third phase of Telangana’s gram panchayat elections has witnessed a massive electoral response, with more than 1.16 lakh nominations filed for sarpanch and ward seats, signalling intense grassroots political activity.
As many as 27,277 nominations were submitted for 4,147 Sarpanch posts, while 89,603 nominations were received for 36,342 ward seats, indicating stiff competition, especially for the top village post.
On average, each Sarpanch post is witnessing a contest among six to seven candidates, while the competition for ward seats appears comparatively moderate.
11 sarpanch posts, 100 wards left without a single nomination
Despite the overall surge, 11 sarpanch posts and 100 ward seats across a few districts did not receive even a single nomination.
In Nagarkurnool district, elections were notified for 158 sarpanch posts, of which six posts remained vacant due to a lack of nominations. In the same district, 44 out of 1,364 ward seats also recorded zero nominations.
In Kumuram Bheem-Asifabad district, two sarpanch posts and six ward seats received no nominations. In the Khammam district, one sarpanch post and nine ward seats failed to attract any candidates.
After excluding these vacant constituencies, the nominations tally stands at 27,277 for sarpanch posts and 89,603 for ward seats in the third phase.
Nalgonda emerges as the most competitive district
The highest level of electoral enthusiasm in the third phase has been recorded in Nalgonda district. For 269 Sarpanch posts, a total of 1,962 nominations were filed. For 2,206 ward seats, 5,606 candidates entered the race.
Officials said this makes Nalgonda the most competitive district in terms of candidate participation in the present phase.
Final list of contestants after withdrawals on Tuesday
Election authorities announced that the final list of contesting candidates will be displayed on Gram Panchayat notice boards after the completion of the nomination withdrawal process on Tuesday. Only after this stage will the exact picture of candidates in the fray emerge.
Second phase withdrawals completed; SEC begins scrutiny
For the second phase of panchayat elections scheduled on the 14th of this month, candidates had filed 28,278 nominations for 4,332 Sarpanch posts, 93,595 nominations for 38,342 ward seats.
The withdrawal deadline ended at 3 pm on Saturday, but the final number of contestants is yet to be officially declared.
SEC to verify the genuineness of unopposed elections
The State Election Commission (SEC) has directed district collectors to verify cases of unanimous (unopposed) elections to ensure that withdrawals took place without inducements, threats or undue pressure.
Only after this verification process is completed will the SEC formally announce the number of unanimously elected Sarpanch and ward members.
Final figures on unopposed seats on Sunday
SEC officials stated that the complete details of unopposed posts and final contest figures will be released on Sunday after district-level scrutiny.
