Andhra Pradesh SEC announces poll schedule for local bodies

Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner (SEC) Anil Chandra Punetha on Wednesday announced the election schedule for Municipal Corporations and Municipalities, Mandal and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs and ZPTCs), and Gram Panchayats (GPs).

With this, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force, prohibiting the government from launching new welfare schemes and development projects.

The election process is scheduled to be completed by December 2, 2026, Mr. Punetha said at a media conference on Wednesday in the presence of Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration P. Sampath Kumar and APSEC Secretary A. Mallikarjuna. 

The SEC also issued the election notification for 100 ULBs, including 13 Municipal Corporations namely Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and the civic bodies in Vizianagaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapuram Corporations, and 87 Municipalities or Nagar Panchayats, out of the total 123 ULBs.

The poll notification for the remaining 23 ULBs (four Municipal Corporations and 19 Municipalities/Nagar Panchayats) will be issued in the due course. 

Poll schedule for ULBs

The Returning Officers or Election Officers (ROs/EOs) will publish the election notices on October 16. Nominations will be filed by October 18 and scrutinised on October 19. The last date for the withdrawal of nominations (appeals cannot be made against rejections in ULBs) is October 21. The ULBs will go to polls on October 28 and the results will be declared on October 30.

MPTC and ZPTC elections

For MPTC and ZPTC elections, the notification will be issued on October 19 and 21. Nominations will be submitted by October 23 and scrutinised on October 24. Appeals against rejection of nominations will be made on October 25 and disposed of by October 26. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 27. The polling and declaration of results will be done on November 3 and 5.

Three-phase panchayat polls

The SEC has also notified the conduct of elections to Gram Panchayats in three phases i.e. on November 26 and 29 and December 2. The results will be declared on the same days.

Indirect elections will be held for Sarpanches and Upa-Sarpanches in phases, notifications for which will be issued on November 13, 16 and 19. Notices will be served on the members on or before November 26, 29, and December 2. It will be followed by special meetings on November 26 or 27 and 29 or 30 and December 2 or 3 for the three phases respectively. 

Mr. Punetha said the elections would be conducted on the basis of existing voter lists duly incorporating the changes as on the date of filing of nominations, as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was yet to be completed.

He stated that the departments concerned were instructed to issue caste and no-dues certificates to the candidates within 24 hours for the elections. The due focus is being laid on ‘unanimous elections’, keeping in view the scope for manipulations, he said.