Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday stayed the panchayat elections in 25 villages of Mangapet mandal in Jayashankar Bhupa-lapally district. Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was dealing with two petitions filed by villagers urging suspension of the election schedule.
The petitioners said all the posts of the gram panchayat in the 25 villages including that of the sarpanch and ward members were reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and this was illegal.
The court found fault on the part of the district officers as they had violated the High Court's earlier orders which mentioned that Mangapet mandal does not fall under the domain of reserved tribes. It asked how the officers had reserved the posts for STs. “You are violating court orders and rules and expect us to keep quiet,” Justice Sanjay Kumar commented when government's counsel requested not that the court not stay the elections.
Mr K. Ravindar Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the officers took the decision without considering their representations.
