Local Body Elections: Notification Issued for 100 Urban Local Bodies

The State Election Commission has issued the notification for local body elections in 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities, bringing the Model Code of Conduct into immediate effect. According to the schedule released on Wednesday, elections will be conducted in three phases across different local bodies. Municipal corporation and municipality elections will be held in a single phase, as will the elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs). Gram Panchayat elections will be conducted in three phases. Although reservations have been announced for 123 urban local bodies, notifications have currently been issued for elections in only 100. Elections in Srikakulam, Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada and Mangalagiri-Tadepalli municipal corporations, along with 19 municipalities, are expected to be notified separately, possibly in December.

Municipal election nominations are scheduled to begin on the 16th, with polling on the 28th and counting on the 30th; results will be announced the same day. The commission has issued separate notifications covering the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, 11 other municipal corporations and 87 municipalities. For 9,983 MPTC and 662 ZPTC seats, nominations will begin on October 21, polling is scheduled for November 3, and results will be declared on November 5. Elections to 13,185 Gram Panchayats are scheduled for November 26, November 29 and December 2. Counting and declaration of results will take place on the polling day in each phase. Election officers at the respective municipal and corporation offices will issue detailed local election notices on Friday to formally begin the nomination process.