Reservations for sarpanch posts will be finalised by RDOs, and ward member reservations by MPDOs, with oversight from district collectors.
Published Nov 23, 2025 | 12:54 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 23, 2025 | 12:54 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: Telangana government issued a guideline on 22 November, setting strict reservation guidelines for upcoming gram panchayat elections. SC/ST/BC reservations has been capped at 50% with 2011 census to be used for SC/ST, and 2024 caste census for BCs. 50% women quota and rotation has also been enforced. Meanwhile, Cabinet will decide poll conduct on 25 November, with election schedule to follow soon.
In preparation to conducting gram panchayat elections, which have been long time coming, the Telangana government on Saturday, 22 November, issued a comprehensive set of guidelines (G.O. Ms. No. 46) governing reservations for Gram Panchayat Sarpanches and Ward Members.
The GO cleared a major procedural hurdle ahead of the elections. The fresh norms—framed under the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2018 — draw their legal authority from Supreme Court directions and the recommendations of a Dedicated Commission constituted to examine backwardness and ensure equitable distribution of reservation across rural Telangana.
At the heart of the new framework is a strict ceiling: reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Backward Classes (BC) together must not exceed 50 percent, in line with the Indra Sawhney judgment and subsequent rulings applicable to local bodies.
The government has reaffirmed that the cap is non-negotiable and will be closely monitored by the State Election Commission and district administrations.
To ensure accuracy and proportionality, the guidelines mandate the use of the 2011 census for determining SC and ST reservations for sarpanch posts, while the 2024 Comprehensive Caste Census will form the basis for ward-level reservations. For BC sarpanch and ward member reservations, the 2024 caste census will be used uniformly.
Reservations for sarpanch posts will be finalised by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs), and ward member reservations by Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), with oversight from district collectors.
The reservation process will follow a clear sequence: ST seats will be earmarked first based on population share, followed by SC reservations; the remaining portion within the 50 percent cap will then be allotted to BCs.
In Agency areas, STs must receive not less than half of all seats, and where they constitute the entire population of a gram panchayat, all sarpanch posts must be reserved for them.
A key component of the guidelines is the strict enforcement of rotation. Seats reserved in the previous cycle—particularly those allotted to women—cannot be repeated unless unavoidable. Women will continue to receive mandatory 50 percent quota across SC, ST, BC, and General categories. Where the total number of seats is odd, the number of seats reserved for women will be rounded down; for example, in a mandal with 11 seats, five will be earmarked for women.
If a category failed to receive the benefit of its reservation in the previous elections due to the polls not being held, the same reservation must be carried forward this time.
In cases where the SC or ST population in a panchayat is insufficient to match the number of seats allotted to them, the remaining reservations will be assigned to other wards in descending order; if the eligible wards exceed the requirement, lots will be drawn. The same fallback applies to BC reservations as well.
The state cabinet, scheduled to meet on 25 November, will take a final call on conducting the elections. The Panchayat Raj Department will then issue instructions to the State Election Commission, which is expected to announce the schedule, notification and polling dates soon after.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
