While this may appear to be a routine electoral exercise, it has emerged as a political and administrative litmus test for the ruling Congress, one that will examine its credibility, ability to deliver on its ambitious promises and its skill in dousing the flames of internal unrest.
Published Jun 26, 2025 | 6:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2025 | 6:50 PM
File photo Congress leaders having a discussion in Telangana.
Synopsis: The Telangana High Court directing the Congress government in the state to complete the Gram Panchayat polls by 30 September. Since assuming office in December 2023, the Congress has been grappling with public dissatisfaction, stemming from various issues. The implementation of the promised 42 percent BC reservation is also a challenge before the party.
The long-pending elections to Gram Panchayats in Telangana are now firmly on the calendar, with the Telangana High Court directing the state government to complete the polls by 30 September.
While this may appear to be a routine electoral exercise, it has emerged as a political and administrative litmus test for the ruling Congress, one that will examine its credibility, ability to deliver on its ambitious promises and its skill in dousing the flames of internal unrest.
The government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is under pressure to honour its electoral pledge of 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies — a commitment enshrined in the party’s Kamareddy Declaration during the 2023 Assembly elections.
This promise, which also included enhanced BC representation in education and government employment, was backed by a caste census conducted in 2024 that pegged the BC population in the state at 56.33 percent.
Based on the survey, the government passed the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025 in March, proposing 42 percent reservation for BCs, alongside 18 percent for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 10 percent for Scheduled Tribes (STs) — bringing the total to 70 percent, which surpasses the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap on reservations.
The immediate hurdle is legal: Gram Panchayat elections in Telangana are non-party based and governed by the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act. Any reservations in these polls must comply with the constitutional ceiling.
To circumvent this, Revanth Reddy has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the inclusion of the 2025 Reservation Bill in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to shield it from judicial review.
However, in the absence of a constitutional amendment, the legality of implementing the 42 percent quota remains questionable.
Opposition parties — primarily the BRS and the BJP — while publicly supporting the reservation bill, have accused Congress of political posturing and delaying the elections.
BRS leader KT Rama Rao had alleged that the caste census and quota push were part of Congress’s electoral gimmickry and demanded immediate implementation.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B Mahesh Kumar Goud, himself a BC leader, welcomed the High Court’s order and reiterated the party’s commitment to its promise.
However, he stopped short of explaining how the state government would ensure a 42 percent BC reservation without parliament’s approval.
“The issue would be thoroughly discussed within the party before finalising the election strategy,” he said.
Facing legal and procedural constraints, Congress is reportedly exploring alternative approaches. These include slightly increasing the BC quota from the current 28 percent to around 30-31 percent by adjusting SC/ST reservations to remain within the 50 percent ceiling — a strategy that the BRS had adopted in 2018.
Simultaneously, the government is planning to roll out new welfare schemes targeted at BCs, such as fee reimbursements for families earning below ₹3 lakh per annum and establishing Gurukul schools and junior colleges for BC students.
Given that the elections are non-party based, Congress is contemplating a tactical announcement: To informally back 42 percent BC candidates in the upcoming Panchayat polls. This approach, while not officially enforceable, could allow the party to claim adherence to its promise without breaching legal boundaries.
However, ground-level realities in villages — where party affiliations are thinly veiled — may expose the extent of BC representation, making the party vulnerable to Opposition scrutiny if it falls short.
Since assuming office in December 2023, the Congress has been grappling with public dissatisfaction, stemming from delays in welfare delivery, controversies over land acquisition (such as in the Lagacherla pharma village), and internal party discord. Key welfare schemes like Rythu Bharosa and Indiramma Indlu have seen sluggish implementation, while allegations of selective beneficiary lists have dented the government’s image.
The absence of elected Panchayat representatives since February 2024, replaced by special officers, has disrupted grassroots governance and led to the loss of 15th Finance Commission funds.
Internally, Congress is facing a crisis of cohesion. The delayed cabinet expansion, limited to three new ministers instead of six, has triggered dissent, particularly among Revanth Reddy’s supporters who were left out.
Public spats, including an incident involving Endowments Minister Konda Surekha’s husband, who verbally attacked party MLAs in Warangal, and a BC legislator’s protest at Gandhi Bhavan, have added to the party’s troubles.
Apart from that, the defection of 10 BRS MLAs to Congress has created new factional divides between loyalists and defectors, particularly in constituencies where Congress candidates had previously lost to these MLAs.
In an effort to rebuild its image and reconnect with voters, the Congress is accelerating the rollout of its flagship welfare programmes.
These include: Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Indlu, Indiramma Atmeeya Bharosa, Free bus travel for women, Ration card distribution drives. Public outreach efforts have also intensified, with Revanth Reddy and senior leaders hosting rallies to highlight achievements such as ₹20,617 crore farm loan waivers.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming Gram Panchayat elections have become a high-stakes contest for Congress — not just against BRS and BJP, but against its own promises and the mounting public scepticism.
While BRS is leveraging its rural network to expose the Congress’s lapses, the BJP is focusing on the Union government’s direct funding to Panchayats and pointing to the legal infirmities in the BC reservation push.
In turn, the Congress is banking on its caste census, the reservation bill, and its welfare agenda to sway public opinion. It is also turning the tables on the BJP, highlighting its lack of clarity on BC reservations and inaction on approving the Ninth Schedule amendment.
With time ticking down to the September deadline, the Panchayat polls may well decide whether Congress can consolidate its rural support base.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
