The stage has been set for holding elections to gram panchayats on Monday with the Telangana State Election Commission issuing notification for the first phase of elections.
The first phase involves election of sarpanches in 4,480 of the 12,732 panchayats spread over close to 200 mandals on January 21. Voters will also elect 39,832 ward members in the election, the first for gram panchayats after formation of separate Telangana State. The last date for filing of nominations is January 9 and it will be January 13 for withdrawal of nominations.
Election will be held on January 21 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and counting of votes and declaration of results would be on the same day. Though the election will be held on non-party basis, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti has taken it prestigiously as it is the first election at the grassroot level after the recent election to the Legislative Assembly, and the party is firm on continuing its winning streak.
The three-phase election will be held on June 21, 25 and 30 and this would be the major poll ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao has announced that he would give a cash award of ₹15 lakh each to panchayats that would elect their governing bodies unanimously in his native Sircilla constituency.
