A tough time for the government to hold Sirimanotsavam, Mayor election in Vizianagaram on October 27 and 28

The election schedule during the Sirimanotsavam is going to be a big challenge for the Vizianagaram district administration, which has to focus on conducting both of them simultaneously and smoothly.

The mayor election, for which the notification was issued, will be held on Wednesday (October 28, 2026). The Sirimanotsavam of Goddess Pydithalli Ammavaru will be held on Tuesday (October 27), a day before the elections. Over 2.5 lakh devotees will take part in the annual fete, the biggest festival of Andhra Pradesh. The Sirimanotsavam is also preceded by the Vizianagaram Utsavam on October 25 and 26.

Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and Joint Collector S. Sedhu Madhavan directed Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials and others concerned to balance both the Sirimanotsavam and the elections to be held for the mayor’s post and 62 corporators in Vizianagaram city. They directed them to cancel leaves and make staff work on holidays if necessary. Municipal teachers who are on Dasara holidays are likely to be asked to report for election duty.

“The district administration has got sufficient experience in handling important programmes simultaneously. We have effectively coordinated the Prime Minister’s programme during the inauguration of the international airport at Bhogapuram a couple of months ago. So, we will motivate every official and employees to raise the occasion to complete both Sirimanotsavam and election process successfully,” Mr. Ramsundar Reddy told The Hindu over the telephone.

He hoped that the voting percentage might improve this time because many people working in other cities would come to their home town Vizianagaram for the Sirimanotsavam and cast their votes in the elections the next day. As many as 2,23,050 people will cast their votes in 229 polling booths in the city. As many as 40 returning officers and 1,600 polling staff will monitor the election process, according to VMC Commissioner B. Balaswamy. The police department was also geared to manage the celestial events and the election process. It has planned to mobilise extra forces from other parts of the State. It has identified 81 of the 229 polling booths as very sensitive and 26 as more sensitive.