Two children norm in rural local body polls in discriminatory: PIL in HC

Hyderabad: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Telangana High Court challenging the clause of Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018, which bars persons having more than two children from contesting elections to local bodies in rural areas like sarpanch, MPTC, ZPTC and others.

The PIL alleged that it was discriminatory as there is no such restriction to those contesting for urban local body posts like corporators, counsellors, chairmen.

When advocate Rapolu Bhaskar filed the PIL, the High Court Registry objected to giving it a number. However, the court overruled the objections and directed allotment of a number to the PIL.

It should be recalled that back in 1994, there was an amendment to the Municipalities Act, whereby individuals having more than two children were barred from contesting in urban local body elections. However, this clause was removed after the Municipalities Act came into effect in 2019. The petitioner sought the court to remove such restrictions even in rural local bodies.

The petitioners said that this rule discriminates between urban and rural people while the fact is that many from the former category have three children and even more. The petitioner contended that this was highly arbitrary and unconstitutional and in violation of Articles 13, 14 and 19 of the Constitution of India and also of the principles of natural justice.