A transformative wave is sweeping across Telangana's rural political landscape as women prepare to claim an unprecedented share of leadership positions in the upcoming panchayat elections. With district administrations finalizing seat allocations, women are poised to lead nearly half of the state's village councils, marking one of the most significant shifts in grassroots governance in recent years.
Historic Representation for Women
Of the 12,728 gram panchayats across Telangana, authorities have reserved 5,849 sarpanch positions for women. This allocation represents 46% of all seats, ensuring female leadership will dominate village councils throughout the state, cutting across all social categories and geographical regions.
The reservation structure extends beyond gender to include various social groups. A total of 3,201 sarpanch seats have been earmarked for Scheduled Tribes (STs), while 2,178 positions are reserved for Backward Classes (BCs) and 2,110 for Scheduled Castes (SCs). Another 5,244 seats fall under the general (unreserved) category.
District-Wide Breakdown and Standout Performers
Nalgonda district has emerged as the state's frontrunner in women's representation, with 404 sarpanch posts reserved for women—the highest allocation among all districts. The district also leads in general category seats with 385 positions, followed by Sangareddy (271) and Vikarabad (257).
Several other districts have also demonstrated strong commitment to women's representation, with more than 200 women-reserved sarpanch seats identified in Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Kamareddy, Khammam, Mahabubabad, Nagarkurnool, Medak, Nizamabad, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet, and Suryapet.
Complete Reservation in Scheduled Areas
In a landmark move for tribal representation, all scheduled areas—covering more than 1,200 villages—have seen every sarpanch and ward member position reserved exclusively for Scheduled Tribes. This 100% reservation policy, implemented in accordance with Presidential orders, represents the largest allocation for tribal communities in this election cycle.
Major allocations under this provision include 460 posts in Bhadradri Kothagudem and 312 in Adilabad. Additional districts including Khammam, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Mahabubabad, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Mulugu, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Siddipet each have between 100 and 200 sarpanch posts reserved specifically for ST candidates.
At the other end of the spectrum, districts with smaller administrative footprints show varied reservation patterns. Mulugu, which has only 146 panchayats, features just 31 General category seats. Bhadradri Kothagudem presents the most striking case with only nine general positions and no posts allocated for BCs.
The reservation framework uses the 2011 Census data for determining SC and ST allocations, while BC reservations were assigned using information from the caste survey. Across all districts, villages designated as scheduled areas or those with 100% tribal populations have received complete reservation of all sarpanch and ward member positions for ST communities.
This comprehensive reservation strategy represents a monumental step toward inclusive governance in Telangana, potentially transforming power dynamics at the grassroots level and creating new pathways for women and marginalized communities to participate in decision-making processes that directly affect their lives.
