Panchayat Raj polls a dry run for 2019 ballot battle

​Hyderabad: In what could be termed as pre-finals for the 2019 general elections, the elections to rural local bodies (RLBs) would be held in May as the new Panchayat Raj Act has been passed. 

As Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the elections to the RLBs would be held in time in the Assembly, State Election Commission is getting ready for the process.

A higher official of the SEC said that as soon as gazette notification of the new PR Act is issued, the EC would begin the process. He said the electoral rolls of panchayats, existing and newly-formed, would be prepared and they would be issued next month. 

The government has to take up delimitation of wards in the villages and has to finalise the reservations. As soon as the reservations are announced, the schedule of the polls would be issued. 

The official said, “We are ready to hold elections at any time. The government has to complete the delimitation and the reservation process of panchayats, mandals, ZPs, MPTCs and ZPTCs. Elections would be held to the 12,751 panchayats, 463 Mandal Parishads and 31 Zilla Parishads, except the panchayats, whose term did not end by August.”

The SEC has been kept waiting as the Panchayat Raj Bill had to be passed. With the passage of the Bill, the decks for conducting the elections have been cleared. If all goes according to SEC plans, elections would be held in May of this year. 

These elections have assumed political significance as they have been considered as pre-finals for the next general elections. Results of the elections would tell the strength of the political parties in the State. 

Though the elections to gram panchayats would not be held on party symbols, the political organizations would claim Sarpanchs. At the same time, elections to Mandal and Zilla Parishads would be held on party symbols and they reflect the mood of the people. 

The elections to the rural local bodies would be a big test for the main parties to check their strength and support among the people as 1.7 crore voters would cast their votes. The ruling TRS has been claiming that it has enormous support among the people and would win any election. 

The Congress claimed that the ruling party has lost the confidence of the people and the voters were ready to teach it a lesson. While BJP has been claiming that its strength has been improved, Telugu Desam Party would come to know its strength in the State.