Andhra Pradesh is gearing up for a crucial political contest at the grassroots, with the TDP-led NDA coalition and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) mobilising their organisational networks for the local body elections. The State Election Commission announced the schedule on Wednesday, with polling from October 28 to December 2.
The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission, headed by State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha, announced the election schedule on Wednesday. YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed party leaders to identify strong candidates, strengthen constituency-level coordination and be ready to challenge alleged administrative obstruction through election authorities and the courts. Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has urged TDP, Jana Sena and BJP leaders to coordinate candidate selection, prevent internal differences and campaign together. For Jagan, a strong showing could help revive YSRCP’s cadre morale, strengthen its claim to remain the principal opposition force and expose potential weaknesses in the ruling alliance.
Polls for 100 urban local bodies are scheduled for October 28, with counting on 30 October. Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections are scheduled for November 3, with counting on November 5. Gram Panchayat elections will be held in three phases, on November 26, November 29 and December 2. READ | Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP Seeks All-Party Meet Ahead Of Andhra Local Body Polls For Naidu, the elections offer a chance to show that the coalition’s victory in the 2024 Assembly election still has grassroots support.
