The suspense is over and you now see clarity on the Telangana local body elections. The Cabinet has decided to conduct them after Praja Palana Varotsavalu, which will run across the state between December 1 and 9. The government wants to finish this programme before moving to the polls.
Once the programme ends, the schedule for local body elections will be announced. Panchayat elections will happen first, followed by ZPTC and MPTC elections after a short gap. The terms of local body representatives ended more than 20 months ago, and the delay has been a point of concern.
The ruling party earlier planned 42 percent BC reservations in local bodies, which pushed the elections back. That plan stalled because the BJP government at the Centre opposed it. The state has now settled on 50 percent reservations as per existing norms while the Congress plans 42 percent BC reservations for its candidates.
The state government approached the High Court, which asked it to follow the 50 percent cap. The government then moved the Supreme Court, which directed it to resolve the issue in the High Court. The High Court will review the government's stand on November 24, adding tension to the political atmosphere.
Political analysts and Congress insiders say CM Revanth Reddy wants to ride the current voter mood and complete the local body elections quickly. His pace signals a clear push to move ahead without delay.