Hyderabad, Oct 22, 2025:
In a major policy shift, the Telangana government has decided to repeal the long-standing two-child rule that disqualified individuals with more than two children from contesting rural local body elections.
Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka on Tuesday signed the ordinance bill proposing to remove the restriction. The bill will next be signed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy before being presented to the state cabinet for formal approval. Once the cabinet clears it, the ordinance will be sent to the Governor for assent.
If approved, candidates with more than two children will be eligible to contest in the upcoming rural local body elections. This move marks the end of a regulation under Section 21(3) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which barred individuals with more than two children from running for local office. However, those who had more than two children before 1995 were previously granted exemptions.
Officials stated that family planning measures are now widely effective across the state, and local representatives have long been demanding the repeal of this outdated rule. The matter was also discussed in a recent *state cabinet meeting, where the decision was made to bring the change through an *ordinance instead of waiting for the next assembly session.
The urgency comes as the High Court has directed the government to conduct local body elections soon, leaving limited time to amend the law through the regular legislative process. Hence, the ordinance route was chosen to ensure the legal framework aligns with upcoming electoral needs.
Meanwhile, the state cabinet is also expected to discuss BC reservations in local body elections during its meeting on Thursday. The revised Panchayat Raj ordinance will likely be approved and forwarded to the Governor’s office following that meeting.
Key Takeaways
- Telangana government to remove the two-child rule for rural local elections.
- Seethakka signed the ordinance bill; final approval awaited from CM Revanth Reddy and Governor.
- The 2018 Panchayat Raj Act currently restricts candidates with more than two children.
- Move aims to modernize electoral laws and respond to local leaders’ long-standing demands.
- BC reservations and other electoral reforms to be discussed in the upcoming cabinet meeting.