Telangana Gram Panchayat Polls Phase Two Underway; Over 57 Lakh Voters to Decide Fate of 12,782 Sarpanch Candidates

Hyderabad, Dec 2029 : The second phase of Gram Panchayat elections in Telangana began on Sunday at 7 a.m. under tight security and will continue until 1 p.m., with vote counting scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

This phase covers 3,911 Sarpanch posts and 29,917 Ward Member posts across 193 mandals. A total of 57.22 lakh voters, including 29.26 lakh women and 27.96 lakh men, are eligible to vote. They will decide the fate of 12,782 candidates contesting for Sarpanch positions and 71,071 for Ward Member posts.

The State Election Commission (SEC) had initially issued notifications for 4,333 Sarpanch seats and 38,350 Ward Member positions. Of these, 415 Sarpanch candidates and 8,307 Ward Members were elected unopposed, while no nominations were filed for 108 Ward Member posts. Elections are not being held in two Gram Panchayats and 18 Wards, with polling conducted only for the remaining positions.

To ensure smooth voting, the SEC deployed 4,593 returning officers, 30,661 election staff, and 2,489 micro-observers. A total of 40,626 ballot papers have been arranged, along with webcasting facilities at 3,769 sensitive polling stations to enhance transparency.

Following the election, the elected Ward Members will convene to select Upa (Deputy) Sarpanches.

The first phase of polls, held on December 11, saw 3,834 Sarpanches, 27,346 Ward Members, and 3,347 Upa Sarpanches elected. Out of 56.19 lakh registered voters, 45.15 lakh cast their votes, marking an impressive 84.28 percent turnout.

In the first phase, the ruling Congress party claimed a decisive lead, with 2,864 Congress-backed Sarpanch candidates emerging victorious. Congress secured 67.63 percent of the total 4,235 Sarpanch seats, while BRS-backed candidates won 1,143 seats (26.99 percent), BJP-supported candidates captured 185 seats (4.37 percent), and Independents and others accounted for 43 seats (1.02 percent).

According to SEC notifications, the Gram Panchayat elections are being conducted in three phases on December 11, 14, and 17, covering 12,728 Sarpanch posts and 1,12,242 Ward Member positions. Across rural Telangana, approximately 1.66 crore voters are eligible to participate.

The Telangana Cabinet decided to conduct only Gram Panchayat elections in December to ensure the release of a Rs 3,000 crore grant from the Centre before it lapses on March 31, 2026. Elections for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), and municipal corporations will be scheduled after the High Court delivers its final order on 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs).

In October, the High Court had struck down a government order granting 42 percent reservation for BCs in local bodies but permitted the elections to proceed with a 50 percent cap on total reservation for all sections.

The second phase of polling today is being closely monitored as voters across Telangana exercise their democratic right to choose their local leaders, with the results expected to shape grassroots governance in the state.

Team Maverick