Telangana High Court rules out interference in panchayat poll reservations
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday said it cannot interfere in panchayat poll reservations, as the law bars judicial action during the election process.
A division bench gave this ruling while closing six petitions that challenged the state’s reservation list. The judges said courts cannot step in once the election process has started. They made it clear that legal challenges during this phase are not allowed.
The petitioners said sarpanch and ward posts were given to SCs and STs in villages where no such population lives. They argued that this misallocation went against fair representation.
They also said the government used the 2011 census data to assign reservations. That led to errors, according to the petitioners. Many reserved posts were located in areas without candidates from the listed communities.
SEC says no polls in villages without reserved candidates
The State Election Commission informed the court of its position. It said elections would not take place in places where eligible candidates are absent. The commission’s stance was noted by the bench before the case was closed.
The court said only constitutional violations, not routine errors, can justify judicial review. This ruling confirms that panchayat poll reservations fall outside court control during elections. It also supports the SEC’s authority in such matters.
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