Telangana panchayat elections clash with APP written exam, lawyers raise concerns

The second phase of village panchayat elections in Telangana is scheduled for December 14, coinciding with the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) written examination, raising concerns among thousands of candidates and rural lawyers.

Kavita, President of the legal advocacy group Jagriti, highlighted that the scheduling conflict is causing significant distress. She noted that the Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board has already announced that the APP written exams will be conducted on December 14, with morning sessions from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and afternoon sessions from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The exams are set to take place at district centers and in Hyderabad.

Kavita pointed out that holding the elections and the exams on the same day forces rural lawyers to choose between exercising their voting rights and attending the APP exam. Lawyers from rural areas, in particular, face challenges in traveling to Hyderabad to take the exam, potentially losing their opportunity to vote.

She urged the government to take immediate action, requesting that the state Chief Minister intervene to reschedule the APP exam, ensuring fairness for all candidates. Kavita emphasized that since the panchayat elections are held across rural areas, the conflict disproportionately affects rural lawyers.