Andhra Pradesh votes in its urban local body elections on Sunday, November 1. Polling runs from 7 AM to 5 PM in 13 municipal corporations and 70 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Votes will be counted on November 3. Polling was first set for October 28 and was moved after reports of violence and court orders.
Key numbers
- Corporations: 922 divisions and 3,773 candidates (ap7am). Hans India reports 118 divisions were won unopposed.
- Municipalities: 2,382 wards and 6,669 candidates (ap7am).
- Visakhapatnam, the largest corporation, votes in all 120 divisions.
- Security: 36,351 police personnel, supervised by 34 IPS officers; 12,000 CCTV cameras and drones.
- Workers in poll areas get a paid holiday on November 1. Turnout will be released every two hours.
Hans India reports that 17 municipal chairperson posts were settled unopposed before campaigning ended: 15 for the TDP and one each for the Jana Sena and the BJP.
Both sides
State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said every polling station is under surveillance because of Supreme Court orders and urged people to vote without fear. He said urban turnout must rise.
YSRCP general secretary SV Satish Kumar Reddy alleged on Saturday that the ruling TDP is misusing the police and officials in Pulivendula and filing cases against his party's workers. Other YSRCP leaders said nearly 150 complaints had produced no action and accused the SEC of working for the TDP. No response from the TDP or the SEC to these charges was found at the time of writing.
