Border Villages Hold Dual Voting Rights in Telangana, Maharashtra

In villages across Telangana, each gram panchayat elects a single sarpanch. But in some rare border villages, residents live under a unique dual-governance model having two sarpanches and dual voting rights.

This unusual situation exists in 12 disputed villages falling under the limits of Parandoli, Mukadamguda, Anthapur, and Bolapatar gram panchayats in Kerameri mandal of Kumuram Bheem district. The villages are located along the Telangana–Maharashtra border, where jurisdiction disputes remain unresolved.

Following directives from the Supreme Court decades ago, residents here were allowed to vote in both states—from gram panchayat polls to parliamentary elections—until the border dispute is fully settled. As a result, every eligible voter in these villages holds two voter ID cards, one issued by Telangana and the other by Maharashtra.

With gram panchayat elections scheduled in Telangana on the 11th of this month, campaigning is in full swing. A total of 3,456 voters fall under the four affected panchayats. Interestingly, candidates who fail to win in the Telangana panchayat polls may still contest again in the Maharashtra gram panchayat elections expected to take place in about four months, keeping political activity alive on both sides of the border.