Andhra Pradesh to Hold Elections for 23 Urban Local Bodies on November 26

Amaravati, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : The State Election Commission of Andhra Pradesh has announced that elections for 23 urban local bodies (ULBs) will take place on November 26. This decision was made public on November 12, with the commission issuing notifications for four municipal corporations and 19 municipalities/town councils.

Previously, elections were held on November 1 for 100 ULBs, and their results have already been declared. The elections for the remaining 23 ULBs were postponed due to ongoing court cases.

State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha confirmed that voting for the positions of mayors, chairpersons, councilors, and ward members will occur on the scheduled date. If re-polling is necessary, it will be conducted on November 27, coinciding with the counting of votes.

The elections will cover the mayors and councilors of the municipalities in Srikakulam, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, and Mangalagiri-Tadepalligudem, as well as chairpersons and ward members from the 19 municipalities/town councils. A total of 1,009 wards are involved, with 269 wards belonging to the four municipal corporations.

Candidates must submit their nominations by November 16, with scrutiny of the nomination papers set for the following day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 19.

The elections will see participation from 2,498,152 voters across 2,801 polling stations. The State Election Commissioner has instructed district collectors and police superintendents to work together to ensure that the elections are conducted peacefully and transparently, without any untoward incidents.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining law and order, ensuring strong police deployment, and implementing comprehensive security measures. During a video conference, Commissioner Punetha noted that past local body elections had witnessed violent incidents in sensitive districts. However, he acknowledged that the intervention of the Supreme Court and the implementation of stringent security measures have positively transformed the conduct of these elections.

Additionally, the commissioner reported that the recent MPTC and ZPTC elections, along with the first phase of elections for the 100 ULBs, have been successfully completed due to the collective efforts of the administration and police.

The elections for MPP chairpersons are scheduled for November 19, followed by JPP chairpersons on November 20. It was also announced that the village panchayat elections will occur in three phases, with notifications to be issued on November 13, 16, and 19.