HYDERABAD: In a bid to sustain the favourable political momentum that gained pace after the recent Assembly elections, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is believed to be gearing up to hold local body elections after the Lok Sabha polls.
The move comes amidst the completion or nearing of the term of various local bodies — Gram Panchayats last December and the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) in May this year.
Sources close to the chief minister revealed that during a review meeting on the Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency held at Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy’s residence, the chief minister emphasised the state government’s intention to conduct local body elections at the earliest.
It was also indicated that active participants in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections at the village and mandal levels would be given the opportunity to contest in the local body polls.
The urgency in holding these elections stems from the CM’s desire to avoid any hindrance in implementation of development works and welfare scheme, which hit an hurdle due to the model code of conduct that is currently in force, said a source.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior Congress leader underscored the party’s eagerness to fulfil the remaining promises outlined in its six guarantees.
“The chief minister prioritising the pending local body elections reflects the party’s commitment to grassroots democracy,” he said.
“This will not only fulfils electoral obligations but also provides opportunities for emerging party leadership at the grassroots level, including sarpanches, MPTCs, and ZPTCs,” he added.
If the CM’s proposal materialises, Telangana is poised for another extensive electoral exercise, characterised by active participation from grassroots-level functionaries.
This move comes close on the heels of the Assembly elections held in November 2023, underscoring the state’s continued engagement with democratic processes.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not the chief minister changes his mind on conducting the local body polls after the Lok Sabha election results are announced.