The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana unit has demanded the government to hold direct elections for mandal praja parishads and zilla parishads, make amendments to the Panchayat Raj Act to give powers to MPTCs and ZPTCs, restoration of 34% reservation for BCs and conduct these polls after conclusion of General Elections.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Monday, a copy of which was released to the media, party leaders, including president K. Laxman, Bandaru Dattatreya, N. Ramchander Rao, G.Kishan Reddy and others, said the decision to conduct panchayat elections when the nation is busy with General Elections raises questions of propriety. There is also the larger issue of its ‘reluctance’ to address serious problems of the present system before elections.

They charged the government of having reduced the BC quota in PR institutions from 34 % to 23% citing a Supreme Court order even when the Chief Minster himself maintains that BC population is high in TS and the present norm of the Apex court that reservation should not exceed 50% be reconsidered. Besides, the application of BC reservation formula is “arbitrary, erratic and fallacious”.

Mr. Laxman and others informed the Governor that indirect elections for MPPs and ZPs is giving room for horse-trading and vitiating the harmonious situation in villages. It is also violative of the spirit of the 73 and 74th constitutional amendments.

He and his colleagues wondered why the government is in a tearing hurry to conduct the polls when it is well aware that if the elections are held by May 14, it will not be able to declare results till May 23 — the day for announcement of results of General Elections. And, as leaders of a national party they are hampered since they would be campaigning in other States during this time.

Hence, they sought Mr. Narasimhan’s good offices to advise the government to conduct the proposed elections after addressing the issues mentioned above and also request the Chief Minister to convene the Legislative Assembly and Council to discuss all these issues threadbare, the memorandum added.