Andhra Pradesh local body polls schedule after gazette notifications: SEC
Synopsis
Andhra Pradesh's local body elections are inching closer but remain date-less — the SEC will announce a schedule only after gazette notifications and a state readiness signal. The elections arrive under a legal cloud: the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's rollback of the Naidu government's flagship 34% BC reservation promise, forcing a reworked quota framework capped at 50% overall.
Key Takeaways
SEC Anil Chandra Punetha said the Andhra Pradesh local body election schedule will be announced only after gazette notifications and state readiness confirmation.
He met representatives of 20 political parties in Vijayawada on 13 October ; parties sought candidate security and timely caste certificate issuance.
Reservation for 17 municipal corporations and 106 municipalities and nagar panchayats was announced on 12 October , with total reservations capped at 50 per cent .
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 1 October struck down government orders for 34% BC reservation , ruling it breached the 50% ceiling .
The Supreme Court dismissed the state's appeal on 9 October , also questioning reliance on Unified Family Survey data.
The ruling is a setback for Chief Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu , who had promised enhanced BC quotas as a key 2024 Assembly election pledge.
State Election Commissioner (SEC) Anil Chandra Punetha said on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that the schedule for local body elections in Andhra Pradesh will be announced only after the concerned departments issue gazette notifications and the state government formally communicates its readiness. The announcement came a day after the state published reservation details for mayor and chairperson posts across 17 municipal corporations and 106 municipalities and nagar panchayats.
What the SEC Said
Punetha made the remarks after chairing a meeting with representatives of 20 political parties in Vijayawada. He assured that polls would be conducted effectively and that adequate security would be deployed in sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas. After the meeting, he told reporters that political parties had sought security for contesting candidates and had also submitted suggestions on administrative matters, including the timely issuance of caste certificates.
Reservation Structure for Urban Local Bodies
The state government on Monday, 12 October, announced the reservation breakdown for mayoral seats across the 17 municipal corporations. One mayoral seat has been set aside for Scheduled Tribes (STs) — Mangalagiri Tadepalli; two for Scheduled Castes (SCs) — Kurnool (Women) and Rajamahendravaram (General); and five for Backward Classes (BCs) — Kakinada (Women), Machilipatnam (Women), Eluru (General), Anantapuram (General), and Chittoor (General).
Five seats have been reserved under the Women (General) category: Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Guntur, Kadapa, and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). Mayoral seats in Tirupati, Vijayawada, Ongole, and Nellore remain unreserved. The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, P. Sampath Kumar, issued a formal notification finalising ward-wise reservation across 13 major municipal corporations.
The BC Quota Controversy
The reservation framework comes after a significant legal setback. On 1 October, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down two government orders that had earmarked 34 per cent reservation for BCs in local body elections, ruling that the combined quota for all categories breached the 50 per cent ceiling mandated by Supreme Court guidelines. The state government subsequently capped total reservation at 50 per cent.
The Supreme Court on 9 October dismissed the state's plea challenging the High Court ruling, also questioning the legal basis of data — particularly findings from a Unified Family Survey — that the government had relied upon to justify the enhanced quota.
Political Fallout for Naidu Government
The court setback is a notable blow to the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government. Chief Minister Naidu had announced the enhanced BC quota on 18 August, promising 34 per cent reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33 per cent in urban local bodies — a commitment that had been a key electoral pledge during the 2024 Assembly elections. With the courts rolling back that promise, the government must now proceed with a structurally reduced quota heading into the polls.
What Comes Next
The election schedule hinges on the state government's readiness declaration and the issuance of gazette notifications by the relevant departments. Once those procedural steps are completed, the SEC will formally announce polling dates. Political parties, meanwhile, have flagged both security concerns and administrative gaps — such as delayed caste certificate issuance — that could affect candidate eligibility and voter registration ahead of the elections.
Point of View
But the political context is anything but. The Naidu government heads into these elections with one of its signature promises — expanded BC reservation — judicially dismantled at both the High Court and Supreme Court level. The reliance on Unified Family Survey data, which the apex court explicitly questioned, points to a broader pattern of states deploying survey-based justifications for enhanced OBC quotas without the empirical rigour courts now demand. How the Telugu Desam Party manages BC voter sentiment with a reduced quota ceiling will be one of the defining sub-plots of this election cycle.
NationPress
13 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Andhra Pradesh local body election schedule be announced?
The election schedule will be announced after concerned departments issue gazette notifications and the state government communicates its readiness to the State Election Commission. No specific date has been set as of 13 October 2026.
What reservation has been announced for Andhra Pradesh mayoral seats?
The state has reserved one mayoral seat for STs, two for SCs, five for BCs, and five for Women (General) across 17 municipal corporations, with total reservations capped at 50 per cent. Seats in Tirupati, Vijayawada, Ongole, and Nellore remain unreserved.
Why was the 34% BC reservation in Andhra Pradesh struck down?
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 1 October struck down the state's orders providing 34% reservation for BCs in local body elections, ruling that the combined quota exceeded the Supreme Court-mandated 50% ceiling on total reservations. The Supreme Court dismissed the state's appeal on 9 October.
What did political parties raise with the Andhra Pradesh SEC?
Representatives of 20 political parties, who met SEC Anil Chandra Punetha in Vijayawada on 13 October, sought security for contesting candidates and submitted suggestions including the timely issuance of caste certificates to ensure eligible candidates can participate.
How does the BC quota ruling affect the Chandrababu Naidu government?
It is a significant setback. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had promised 34% BC reservation in rural local bodies and 33.33% in urban local bodies — a key pledge from the 2024 Assembly elections. With courts rolling back the enhanced quota, the government must contest these polls with a reduced reservation framework.
