HYDERABAD: The Congress government is unlikely to hold local body elections before the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, senior officials familiar with the matter told TNIE.
The delay, they said, stems from both administrative and political considerations, even as the high court’s deadline for completing the electoral process looms.
At the core of the administrative delay is the Panchayat Raj Act (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was recently passed in the state legislature. The bill seeks to bypass the existing 50% cap on reservations in local bodies but still requires the assent of Governor Jishnu Dev Varma. Without his approval, the changes cannot be legally enforced, leaving key aspects of the election process in limbo.
Politically, the timing of the elections adds further complications. The ruling Congress has promised to earmark 42% of party tickets in local body elections for Backward Classes (BCs), should the implementation of the enhanced reservation face legal hurdles.
Sources said the Telangana government is wary of triggering debates or similar demands in poll-bound Bihar over implementing a 42% BC quota. “It is likely the local body elections will be scheduled only after the Bihar Assembly elections,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.
With the prospect of missing the court-mandated timeline, the state government is expected to petition the high court for more time.
Officials plan to argue that ongoing socio-political developments—including new policy initiatives and evolving legal challenges — have made it unfeasible to conduct elections within the deadline.
Central to the government’s strategy is its commitment to a 42% BC quota in local governance structures. To back this, the administration has commissioned a comprehensive Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey.
Sources also said the government plans to issue a Government Order (GO) to implement the 42% reservation. Either the Planning Department or the BC Welfare Department is expected to issue the directive, while the departments conducting local body elections will be instructed to adopt it.