The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission on Thursday announced a three-phase schedule for gram panchayat elections, with polling set to take place on November 26, November 29 and December 2 across the state.
State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha also unveiled the revised schedule for elections to 23 pending urban local bodies, which could not participate in the November 1 polls because of court-related litigation.
The pending urban bodies comprise four municipal corporations and 19 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Voting for these bodies will be held on November 26, while counting of votes is scheduled for November 30.
Gram panchayat election schedule and nomination dates
The rural election process will begin with the first phase, for which notifications will be issued on November 13. Candidates can submit their nominations between November 15 and 17, followed by scrutiny on November 18.
Candidates whose nominations are rejected can file appeals on November 19 and 20. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is November 21, when the final list of contesting candidates will also be published. Repolling, if required, will take place on November 27.
For the second phase, the election notification will be issued on November 16. The nomination process will remain open from November 18 to 20, with scrutiny scheduled for November 21.
Appeals against rejected nominations can be submitted on November 22 and 23. Candidates will have until November 24 to withdraw their nominations, and the final list will be published on the same day. Repolling, wherever necessary, will be held on November 30.
The third phase will commence with the issuance of notifications on November 19. Nominations will be accepted from November 21 to 23, while scrutiny will take place on November 24.
The deadline for filing appeals against rejected nominations will be November 25 and 26. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until November 27, when the final list of contesting candidates will also be released. Repolling, if necessary, will be conducted on December 3.
Polls for 23 pending urban local bodies
The State Election Commission has separately scheduled elections for 23 urban local bodies that were left out of the November 1 polling process due to pending court cases.
The group comprises four municipal corporations and 19 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Polling will be conducted on November 26, followed by counting on November 30.
The state had earlier announced a wider local body election programme, covering urban and rural institutions. However, the 23 urban bodies could not go to polls alongside the others because of legal proceedings.