26 omitted communities not BCs, Telangana govt tells officials on local body polls

Backward Classes Welfare Department has directed officials not to treat candidates from 26 omitted communities as BCs in local body elections after instances of ineligible candidates being elected in recent Gram Panchayat polls

Hyderabad: The Backward Classes Welfare Department issued orders to district Collectors, election authorities and Returning Officers not to consider candidates belonging to 26 omitted communities as BCs in local body elections.

The government has recognised 112 castes as BCs in the State, omitting 26 castes and one synonym i.e., Settibalija from the BC list of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

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Accordingly, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department had furnished data of candidates elected in the recent gram panchayat elections. It was observed that eight persons belonging to other castes omitted in the State BC list were elected as ward members in different gram panchayats.

Following this, the Telangana Commission for Backward Classes urged the department to issue suitable directions to the officials not to consider candidates belonging to 26 omitted communities as BCs in municipalities, municipal corporations, GHMC, mandal parishads, zilla parishads etc.