Overview

• Former sarpanches argued that their replacement by special officers violated Articles 243E and 243K of the Constitution and the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act of 2018.
• They told the court they had spent personal funds on village development works and demanded reimbursement by the state government.
• Government counsel acknowledged missing the February 2025 deadline for local body polls despite earlier assurances to complete them by then.
• SEC counsel said the commission would need 60 days after backward class reservations are announced to organize the elections.
• The petitioners cited the Supreme Court’s Kishan Singh Tomar ruling to press for strict judicial enforcement of the five-year poll cycle under Article 243U.