The second phase of the gram panchayat elections in Telangana has witnessed a significant number of candidates securing their posts without a contest. According to the latest data released by the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC), a substantial portion of the local body positions were filled unanimously, reflecting a trend of uncontested victories in the rural polls.
Unanimous Victories Dominate the Poll Landscape
The State Election Commission, in its Sunday announcement, provided a detailed breakdown of the uncontested wins. For the crucial sarpanch positions, 415 candidates were elected unanimously. This means they faced no opposition and were declared winners outright. The scale of uncontested elections is even larger for ward member posts, where 8,304 members were elected unopposed.
Out of the total 4,332 sarpanch posts notified for this phase, elections will now be held only for 3,911 seats on December 14. The remaining were settled without a vote. Similarly, for ward members, polls will be conducted for 29,903 positions.
District-Wise Breakdown of Uncontested Wins
The data reveals interesting geographical patterns in the unanimous elections. Kamareddy district emerged at the top, with 44 sarpanches elected unopposed. It is closely followed by Nalgonda and Nizamabad districts, each recording 38 unanimous sarpanch victories.
This trend held firm for ward member posts as well, with Kamareddy, Nalgonda, and Nizamabad maintaining their leading positions in the number of members elected without a contest. This concentration suggests specific local political dynamics at play in these regions.
Nominations Withdrawn and Posts Without Candidates
Beyond the unanimous elections, the nomination process saw other significant developments. A large number of candidates decided to withdraw their nominations before the deadline. 7,584 contestants for sarpanch posts and 10,427 candidates for ward member posts stepped back from the race.
In a contrasting scenario, some positions received no nominations at all. The SEC reported that five sarpanch posts and 107 ward member posts found no aspirants, leaving these seats vacant for now, which may necessitate a fresh notification or other administrative measures.
Comparing with Past Phases and Previous Elections
This phase continues a pattern observed in the first phase of the current gram panchayat elections, where 395 sarpanchs and 9,331 ward members were elected unanimously. When viewed against the backdrop of the last panchayat elections, where a total of 2,500 candidates were elected unopposed, the current cycle shows a notable increase in uncontested victories, indicating a possible shift in grassroots political contestation.
The high number of unanimous elections and withdrawn nominations points towards complex local political negotiations, consensus-building, or, in some cases, a lack of challengers. The focus now shifts to the polling scheduled for December 14, where the remaining seats will be contested by candidates across the state.
