TRS wary of bypolls to 6,000 seats in rural local bodies

The TS Election Commission (TSEC) has written to the state government seeking approval to hold byelections to over 6,000 seats in rural local bodies (RLBs) across the state, including for ward members, sarpanches, ZPTC and MPTC members. The bypolls have not been held in the last three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These elections, if held, will enable political parties to gauge voter sentiment and mood in the rural areas in all districts ahead of the December 2023 Assembly elections.

In the elections for rural local bodies held in January 2019, the TRS won nearly 95 per cent of the seats. However, with the state’s political equations changing and the emergence of the BJP as a strong political force, the TRS is reportedly concerned that if the Opposition wins a significant number of seats now, it would impact the Assembly polls in 2023.

The TRS won the Munugode Assembly seat in a tight contest with the BJP last week, and the Congress secured nearly 24,000 votes despite failing to retain the deposit. In this context, the TRS government is contemplating on whether or not to hold the bypolls as the local bodies have only 14 months remaining of their tenure.

The party leadership does not want to give the BJP and Congress any opportunity to demonstrate their strength in rural local body polls before the general election. There are also reports that RLBs in Telangana are facing severe funding constraints, with the Centre suspending the Finance Commission grants since April and the TRS government failing to release its share of funds for the last three months. This has resulted in severe anti-incumbency against the TRS.

If elections are held at this point, the party leadership fears they will be counterproductive and is thus opposed to polls. However, the TSEC officials are optimistic that the state government will grant permission to hold the bypolls.

There are 5,354 vacancies for ward members, 344 vice-sarpanches, 219 sarpanches, 92 mandal parishad territorial committee (MPTC) members, six mandal parishad presidents (MPPs), three vice-MPPs, three ZPTCs, two MPP co-option members, and one ZP vice-chairperson, according to TSEC data.

These vacancies arose as a result of the disqualification of a few members for failing to submit poll expenditure details to TSEC, suspensions for irregularities and negligence in discharging duties, and invoking provisions of the new TS Panchayat Raj Act, 2018.

The panchayat raj department has prepared the necessary polling material in the hope that the state government will approve holding elections. Accordingly, the TSEC has also finalised the voters list.