Hyderabad: Hoping the Telangana govt gives its clearance along with caste-wise reservations for holding gram panchayat and zilla parishad elections, the Telangana State Election Commission (TGSEC) has started pre-poll exercises for Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections too. The term of the ZPs ended in July 2024, and the elections for these local bodies are also due.

The SEC wants to hold elections for ZPs immediately after the gram panchayat elections.
The SEC has already completed pre-poll exercises for conducting gram panchayat elections, including identification of polling stations, finalising the symbols, and even printing ballot papers in the state. Now, the commission on Friday asked the district election authorities to publish draft electoral rolls of Mandal Praja Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) by February 10. The SEC also asked to identify and finalise the polling stations by February 15. Sources in the SEC said the election commission and the state govt are of the view that the elections for these rural local bodies, at least panchayat polls, should be completed before March 15 as the annual examinations for SSC begin on March 21, and other examinations in April.
“The polling staff for the rural local bodies’ elections are mostly govt school teachers, and the govt schools will be used as polling stations. The govt has no option but to hold elections before the examination season begins; otherwise, the elections may go up to May,” an official of TGSEC said.
They said the SEC can now conduct the elections with short notice as the preparations are almost over for the gram panchayats. Within two weeks after panchayats, the commission wants to conduct elections to Zilla Parishad and Mandal Praja Parishad.
The state govt is also in a hurry to conduct elections to the panchayats as the Centre has stalled releasing funds to the panchayat for the past two quarters as the elections were not held for the local bodies.
Interestingly, elections to the panchayats will be held on a non-party basis, while in ZP elections, the candidates can fight the elections on party symbols. Sarpanches and ward members’ candidates would be given symbols without any party names or party symbols. There will be a NOTA option in the ballot papers too.