CPI(M) rejects direct mayor polls, backs 34% BC quota in local bodies
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has formally opposed the proposal for direct elections to the posts of mayors and chairpersons in the upcoming local body elections, while extending support to the state government’s decision to reserve 34% of these positions for Backward Classes (BCs).
In a statement issued on Thursday, CPI(M) State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao argued that direct elections for mayors and chairpersons would undermine the authority of corporators, councillors, and members of mandal and zilla parishad territorial committees (MPTCs and ZPTCs). These representatives, he said, are directly connected with the people at the grassroots level. Direct election of the top post, he added, would concentrate power in one office and weaken the spirit of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which established the panchayati raj and municipal governance frameworks. The party has demanded that the existing indirect election system be retained.
On the reservation issue, Mr. Rao welcomed the state government’s decision to provide 34% reservation for BCs in local bodies. However, he stressed that such a measure could only be meaningfully implemented if the existing 50% ceiling on total reservations in India is lifted. Referring to the observations of the Mishra Commission, he noted that the matter requires legislative and constitutional intervention at the national level.
The CPI(M) leader also urged the NDA allies in the state — the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — to pressurise the central government to bring about the necessary constitutional amendment. A constitutional change would be required to exceed the current cap, which has been upheld in multiple Supreme Court rulings.
Mr. Rao cautioned the state government against rushing the reservation process merely to meet deadlines tied to Finance Commission grants. He pointed out that a caste enumeration is already underway in conjunction with the 2026 Census. Once completed, this data could help frame reservation policies on a firmer factual basis and address several social inequalities, he said.
The CPI(M) leader further advised the government to ensure that the proposed reservation is legally sustainable and implemented effectively. He emphasised that any hasty or legally flawed process could lead to court challenges, ultimately delaying benefits for the intended communities.
The statement comes amid ongoing preparations for local body elections in the state, with the ruling coalition yet to finalise the exact methodology for the 34% BC quota. Political parties have differing views on both the mode of election and the extent of reservation, making this a subject of active debate in the state legislature as well as among civil society groups.
