The schedule for the second ordinary elections to rural local bodies was released by the State Election Commission (SEC) on September 29. The stage for polling across Telangana has now been set. The SEC stated that the election notification will be issued on October 9 and elections will be conducted in all 31 districts. In this, 565 mandals with elections to 5,749 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and 565 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) will be covered. SEC also stated that for this election, ballot boxes and papers will be borrowed from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
Election Dates:
MPTC and ZPTC Elections- Phase 1 on October 23 and Phase 2 on October 27.
Gram Panchayat Elections- Phase 1 on October 31, Phase 2 on November 4, Phase 3 on November 8.
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In the elections, 81.65 lakh men, 85.36 lakh women, and 504 others are eligible to exercise their franchise.
For making all the arrangements for elections, meetings were held with senior State officials, including the Chief Secretary, DGP, and heads of key departments. The officials assured the SEC that they are ready for these elections and that everything can be conducted as per the schedule.
The SEC sought a 45-day extension to complete the process, with concurrence from the State government, as per the High Court’s directions. The Commission has issued strict guidelines on reservations for Mandals, Zilla Praja Parishads, and Gram Panchayats. The elections will be carried out in 31,300 MPTC polling stations and 15,302 MPTC/ZPTC locations. For Gram Panchayats, 12,733 GPs and 1,12,288 wards will go to the polls with 15,522 polling locations being set up.
The State Election Commission (SEC) urged voters and candidates to adhere strictly to the Model Code of Conduct, emphasizing the importance of casting votes freely and fairly. It also called upon the media to promote greater public participation and support efforts to ensure the elections are conducted peacefully and successfully.