Massive Response as Over 25,000 Nominations Filed for First Phase of Telangana Gram Panchayat Elections

Hyderabad, Nov 2025 : Telangana has witnessed an overwhelming response to the first phase of Gram Panchayat elections, with more than 25,000 candidates filing their nominations for the polls scheduled on December 11. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), a total of 25,654 nominations have been submitted for 4,236 Gram Panchayats across 31 districts.

The final day of filing nominations on Saturday saw an extraordinary rush, with 17,940 candidates submitting their papers. In total, 82,276 nominations were filed for 37,440 wards, reflecting high enthusiasm among local leaders and political groups. The SEC confirmed that 70,596 nominations were received on the last day alone, across both Panchayat and ward categories.

Election officials have begun the scrutiny of nominations, and the list of valid candidates is expected to be released later on Sunday. Appeals related to nomination rejections or objections may be filed on December 1, and will be processed the following day. The final date for withdrawal of candidatures is December 3.

The first phase of polling will take place on December 11, with voting scheduled from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Counting of votes will be conducted on the same day from 2 p.m. onwards. As per the SEC’s notification issued earlier this week, Gram Panchayat elections will be conducted in three phases—December 11, 14, and 17—to elect 12,728 sarpanchs and members for 1,12,242 wards.

A total of 1.66 crore rural voters are eligible to participate in the upcoming local body elections.

For the second phase, nominations will be accepted starting November 30, with the last date for withdrawal set as December 6. For the final phase, nomination filing will open on December 3, and candidates may withdraw their papers until December 9.

The Telangana Cabinet, in its meeting on November 17, decided to proceed only with Gram Panchayat elections in December. The decision was driven by financial considerations, as a Rs 3,000 crore grant due from the Centre under the 15th Finance Commission will lapse on March 31, 2026, if Panchayat elections are not conducted before the deadline. Since the Commission’s term ends on the same date, the funds must be utilized before expiry.

The government has deferred decisions on elections for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), and municipal corporations. These will be announced only after the High Court delivers its final ruling on the issue of 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies.

In accordance with the High Court’s interim directive, the SEC has ensured that the total reservation across all communities does not exceed 50 per cent. For Gram Panchayats, 17.08 per cent reservation has been allotted for BCs. Of the 12,735 Panchayats, 2,176 have been reserved for Backward Classes.

Among the 31 districts in the first phase, Siddipet reports the highest BC reservation at 26.77 per cent, while Bhadradri Kothagudem has no Gram Panchayat reserved for BCs.

The large number of nominations highlights strong grassroots participation and sets the stage for a highly competitive three-phase local election process across Telangana.