Govt inclined to go ahead with polls to local bodies?

Hyderabad: With the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s (TPCC) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting scheduled for August 23, speculation is ripe that a well-thought-out proposal to go ahead with polls to local bodies will be accepted.

With the High Court asking the government to complete the process by September end, and with the party boasting of having made maximum efforts for achieving 42 per cent BC reservation, the State’s party unit’s leadership is likely to back this proposal.

According to party sources, the writing on the wall is clear that the ruling party is disinclined to delay the polls further on its part. Considering the significance of the polls for the Congress at the present juncture, directions have been issued to party leaders in districts to wrap up any developmental works or foundation stone laying ceremonies by this weekend. 

“Once the election code comes into force, there won’t be any chance for going ahead with such work. The state leadership has sent instructions to leaders in districts to wrap up these activists,” said a senior leader.

The exercise of conducting polls to local bodies, which ought to have been completed by now, has remained pending for various reasons, with the latest cause for the delay being the ruling party’s push for 42 per cent quota for BCs.

As the Bills related to the reservation await the President's assent and as the Ordinance is also pending; the ruling party is likely to go ahead by implementing the quota at least within the party.