Adilabad: With hardly 40 days left for the completion of the tenure of sarpanchs on January 31, election fever is gradually gripping the villages. Some local aspirants are already arranging feasts for the villagers.
The last sarpanch elections were held in three phases in 2019.
According to reports, the state government is yet to take a call on conducting the elections; some sarpanchs have urged MLAs and ministers to extend their term and clear pending bills towards development works before announcing the polls.
Meanwhile, worried that their gram panchayats may be reserved for women, some aspirants are planning to field their female family members if that happens.
Sarpanchs are also preparing to either contest again or promote their associates. They have started explaining the developmental works taken up during their tenure.
Although they will be fought without party symbols and tickets, the state’s changed political landscape will have a bearing on the sarpanch elections.
There are 468 gram panchayats in Adilabad district. The major contenders Congress, BRS and BJP are preparing action plans to ‘back’ their candidates.
BJP state in-charge Suneel Bansal, who reviewed the party’s status in the Adilabad Parliament elections, also discussed with the leaders about the local body elections and preparing the cadre and second-rung leaders for the purpose.
Madavi Limbaji, a sarpanch from Bheempur, said they had spent money from their pockets to take up development works but the bills have been since three years.
- Tenure of sitting sarpanchs ends on Jan. 31
