Telangana HC Orders Panchayat Polls by September 30

📌 High Court Orders Fresh Polls Within Three Months
Justice T. Madhavi Devi directed the State Government and State Election Commission (SEC) to hold elections for the Gram Panchayats no later than September 30, 2025 giving a clear deadline to resolve the 18-month delay since the previous body’s term ended on January 31, 2024.

The court emphasized that appointing Special Officers to manage panchayats in the absence of elected sarpanches is undemocratic and unconstitutional under Articles 243E and 243K, and urged that all processes especially BC-reservation frameworks be completed without further delay.

Legal Backdrop & Court’s Guidance
Petitioners, which include former sarpanches, argued that the continued postponement violated both the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act and the constitutional mandate requiring polls within six months of term expiry.

The SEC had indicated it needs about two months after BC-reservations are finalized; the government said it’d take roughly one month to finish that process.

By reserving judgment and now setting an explicit three-month deadline, the court made clear that administrative delays won’t justify indefinitely postponing democratic representation.