The Andhra Pradesh government has officially notified statutory rules for upcoming ordinary elections in urban local bodies. Under these regulations, voters will directly elect Mayors for Municipal Corporations and Chairpersons for Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats to serve full five-year terms. Meanwhile, Deputy Mayors and Vice-Chairpersons will be chosen through indirect voting by elected ward members and ex-officio representatives.
A 14-day exercise from September 8 to September 21 is scheduled to identify voters across key categories and establish accurate reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and women in 59 urban bodies. Revised electoral rolls for 41 other urban local bodies will be published within a week following High Court directives on delimitation, while proceedings for an additional 23 urban local bodies remain subject to pending judicial orders.
Officials stated that these updates aim to streamline municipal administration and enhance democratic participation at the grassroots level. Political parties are preparing their cadre, civil society groups have welcomed the voter identification timeline, and the transition to direct mayor elections is expected to increase voter engagement and accountability in urban governance.