The Telangana Cabinet on Monday decided to conduct only Gram Panchayat elections in December, as the ₹3,000-crore grant from the Centre under the 15th Finance Commission will lapse on March 31, 2026. To avoid losing this financial assistance, the government opted to prioritise Gram Panchayat elections before the deadline.

The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, postponed the decision on conducting MPTC, ZPTC, and municipal corporation elections. These elections will be scheduled only after the High Court delivers its final verdict on the 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs).

Explaining the decisions after the Cabinet meeting, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that Gram Panchayat elections will be held after the “Praja Palana” celebrations, which will take place from December 1 to 9 to mark two years of the Congress government.

He noted that the High Court has instructed that local body elections must adhere to the 50% cap on total reservations. However, the Telangana government has reiterated its commitment to providing 42% reservation for BCs. In line with this commitment, the ruling party plans to allocate 42% of Gram Panchayat tickets to BC candidates.

The Minister added that the dedicated BC Commission had already submitted its recommendations and that the election process had initially begun based on these reservations. But after court petitions challenging the 42% BC reservation were filed, the process was halted.

The Cabinet has now decided to seek a fresh report from the BC Commission regarding reservations for sarpanch and ward member posts in Gram Panchayats. Elections for MPTCs and ZPTCs will be conducted only after the High Court gives its final ruling.

The Cabinet also mourned the demise of celebrated Telugu poet Andesri, the lyricist of the Telangana State song “Jaya Jayahe Telangana”. The government has decided to include the song in school textbooks, build a memorial in his honour, and offer the job of assistant professor to his son.