In a major shift in how its cities and towns choose their leaders, Andhra Pradesh has officially paved the way for citizens to directly vote for their Mayors and municipal chairpersons. The state government issued statutory rules and orders on Saturday for conducting ordinary elections across urban local bodies, moving away from the longstanding system where council members and ex-officio representatives selected civic heads behind closed doors.
Key Highlights
- Mayors and municipal chairpersons will be elected directly by registered voters for a five-year term.
- Directly elected heads will hold ex-officio membership in their respective municipal bodies.
- Deputy posts have been reduced to one Deputy Mayor or one vice-chairperson per urban local body, chosen via indirect election.
- Reservation enumeration across 59 urban bodies runs from September 8 to September 21.
Direct Voting and Streamlined Deputees
Under the revised municipal framework, any voter appearing on the civic electoral rolls will cast a direct ballot for Mayors in municipal corporations and chairpersons in municipalities and nagar panchayats. Once elected, these civic chiefs will serve a five-year tenure and automatically secure a seat in their respective local bodies by virtue of their position.
Alongside direct elections for the top office, the administration has overhauled deputy appointments. Municipal corporations will now feature a single Deputy Mayor, while municipalities and nagar panchayats will have just one vice-chairperson—eliminating the earlier system that allowed two such positions. These deputy posts remain indirect, requiring a special meeting within 15 days of a council's inaugural sitting, where voting will proceed via show of hands under party whip guidelines.
Reservation Mapping and Judicial Delimitation Timelines
Before polling can proceed, authorities must finalize reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and women. A 14-day assessment begins on September 8 across 59 urban local bodies—including Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation and 58 municipalities and nagar panchayats—with finalized category-wise voter lists scheduled for publication on September 21.
| Date | Election Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 8 | Commencement of 14-day quota enumeration in 59 ULBs |
| September 21 | Publication of final category-wise electoral rolls |
| Within 15 Days of Council Sitting | Special election meeting for Deputy Mayors and vice-chairpersons |
Simultaneously, following recent High Court directions regarding ward delimitation, electoral roll compilation in 41 urban bodies has been placed on an accelerated one-week timeline. A further 23 local bodies currently tied up in court proceedings will move forward strictly as legal decisions arrive.
Municipal Administration Minister Ponguru Narayana has ordered field machinery to comply tightly with these deadlines, while Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar confirmed that state departments are actively coordinating with district collectors, local commissioners, and the State Election Commission to finalize preparations.
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