Telangana High Court declines to halt Gram panchayat polls

The Telangana High Court on Thursday, December 4, ruled that constitutional provisions bar judicial interference once the election process has begun, allowing such intervention only before or after the polls.

The bench comprising Justice P Shyam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao made this observation while disposing of six petitions related to reservation irregularities in certain panchayats.

The petitioners had alleged that



reservations were allotted based on outdated population figures from 2011, even though demographic changes occurred following the reorganisation of the state and subsequent panchayat divisions.

The court noted that although there was truth in the contention that reservations were made without fresh demographic studies, judicial intervention at this stage was constitutionally impermissible since nomination procedures for two phases of panchayat elections had already been completed.