SEC to announce 3-phase local poll schedule today

Amaravati: The State Election Commission (SEC) has reportedly finalised the schedule for conducting local body elections in Andhra Pradesh and will announce it on Wednesday at 11.30 a m, setting the stage for a three-phase electoral exercise covering urban and rural local bodies. The SEC will announce the schedule for all three phases. Municipal elections will be held in the first phase, followed by Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections in the second phase, and gram panchayat elections in the third phase. The notification for municipal elections will also be issued on Wednesday, with the process of receiving nominations scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Gazette notifications from all districts already reached the SEC, paving the way for the announcement. Meanwhile, the State government has finalised the reservation categories for Zilla Parishad chairperson posts and issued the relevant Gazette notification on Tuesday night. Anakapalli and Srikakulam districts have been allotted the BC-Woman category, while Anantapur and Kurnool have been reserved for BC-General candidates. Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts fall under the BC category. Alluri district has been reserved for ST candidates, while Polavaram has been allotted the ST Woman category. Konaseema, Guntur and Tirupati districts have been reserved for SC-women, while NTR district has been allotted the SC category.

The OC Woman category has been allocated to Kakinada, East Godavari, Eluru, Bapatla, Chittoor and Palnadu districts. Markapuram, Nandyal, Sri Sathya Sai, West Godavari, Nellore and Kadapa districts have been allotted the OC General category, while Annamayya district has been kept unreserved. Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha on Tuesday met recognized political parties. Addressing the media after the meeting, Punetha said representatives of 19 of the 20 recognised parties in the state attended the consultations and offered suggestions on election arrangements. The parties urged the government to expedite the issuance of caste and nativity certificates required by candidates, warning that delays could affect their ability to contest. Punetha said the SEC would alert district authorities wherever necessary and instruct them to ensure that certificates and other essential documents were issued without delay. The parties also called for adequate security for candidates and at nomination centres, comprehensive CCTV coverage and measures to curb the distribution of liquor that could influence voters. They requested the deployment of special police forces in sensitive, highly sensitive and Naxal-affected areas, with some seeking exclusive deployment of paramilitary forces.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K Varaprasada Rao

K Varaprasada Rao[email protected]

K Varaprasada Rao is a Senior Reporter with The Hans India, covering the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Chief Minister's Office (CMO), State Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and political affairs. With over 20 years of experience in journalism in Andhra Pradesh, he has extensively reported on governance, public policy, politics, and socio-economic issues that shape the state's development and influence the country's evolving landscape. He holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. His reporting focuses on finance, industries, irrigation, agriculture, infrastructure, investment, public administration, and political developments, with a particular interest in analysing their long-term economic and social impact.

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