Andhra Pradesh ULB polls underway across 92 urban bodies, 99 lakh voters to decide
Synopsis
Nearly a crore voters across Andhra Pradesh are casting ballots today for 92 urban local bodies — a contest the ruling NDA is fighting to cement its post-2024 dominance, and one the YSRCP desperately needs to win to signal a comeback. The elections were delayed by a Supreme Court order after violent disruptions; the stakes, both political and democratic, are unusually high for a local body poll.
Key Takeaways
Polling for 92 urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh began at 7 am on 1 November 2026 and will conclude at 5 pm .
99.35 lakh voters are choosing among 10,262 candidates for mayoral, chairperson, and ward-level posts.
The NDA (TDP, JSP, BJP) has already won chairperson and ward member posts unopposed in 8 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats .
The SEC deployed 84,815 polling staff , 3,720 micro observers , and 12,666 CCTV cameras for security and oversight.
Elections were deferred from 28 October after a Supreme Court order following violent incidents during nominations.
Vote counting is scheduled for 3 November 2026 .
Polling is underway on Sunday, 1 November 2026 for elections to 92 urban local bodies (ULBs) across Andhra Pradesh, with nearly 99.35 lakh voters set to decide the fate of 10,262 candidates contesting mayoral, chairperson, and ward-level posts. The State Election Commission (SEC) confirmed voting began at 7 am across 11,378 polling centres spread over 13 Municipal Corporations and 79 of the 87 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats. Polling will continue until 5 pm.
Key Numbers at a Glance
A total of 153 candidates are contesting for mayor posts across the 13 municipal corporations, while 367 candidates are in the fray for chairperson posts in 70 Municipalities. For municipal corporation wards, polling is being held in 804 of the 922 corporator wards, as elections in the remaining 118 wards were decided unanimously. In all, 3,077 candidates are contesting those 804 municipal wards.
In Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, 6,669 candidates are contesting 2,382 wards. The total voter count stands at 59,97,918 in Municipal Corporations and 39,38,096 in Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.
Uncontested Wins and NDA's Early Advantage
Even before a single vote was cast, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — comprising the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — secured an early advantage. Chairperson posts of 17 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats were won unopposed. More significantly, both chairpersons and ward members were elected without contest in eight Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats — Allagadda, Dachepalli, Darsi, Gurajala, Kamalapuram, Piduguralla, Proddatur, and Rayachoti — all of which went to the NDA.
As part of internal seat-sharing arrangements within the coalition, the mayoral post of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has been allocated to the TDP, while the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation mayoral post has been assigned to the Jana Sena Party.
Security and Oversight Arrangements
The SEC has deployed 84,815 presiding officers and polling staff, along with 3,720 micro observers to oversee the process. Election authorities have enabled web casting from 1,835 polling centres, with a dedicated web-casting expert stationed at each such booth. Additionally, 12,666 CCTV cameras have been installed across polling locations to ensure free and fair elections.
Political Context: NDA vs YSRCP
These municipal elections are being closely watched as a direct contest between the ruling NDA coalition and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). The NDA is seeking to build on its sweeping performance in the 2024 Assembly and general elections, while the YSRCP is attempting a political recovery after a bruising defeat. The coalition has campaigned on its development and welfare delivery over the past two-and-a-half years; YSRCP has trained its campaign on what it calls the coalition's shortcomings.
Notably, the elections were originally scheduled for 28 October but were deferred following a Supreme Court directive after violent incidents prevented several candidates from filing nominations — a reminder of the fraught environment in which local democracy is being tested here. Counting of votes is scheduled for 3 November.
Point of View
But today's vote carries an outsized political signal: can the YSRCP mount any credible recovery in urban centres after its 2024 collapse, or will the NDA consolidate control from the state legislature all the way down to ward committees? The Supreme Court's intervention to postpone polling over nomination-stage violence is a telling detail — it suggests that despite a new government, the coercive playbook in Andhra's local politics has not disappeared. The NDA's uncontested wins in eight municipalities before a single vote is cast also warrant scrutiny; in a healthy democratic environment, unanimous elections at this scale are unusual. How the coalition converts civic control into governance outcomes over the next term will ultimately determine whether this sweep becomes a political asset or a liability.
NationPress
1 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is voting taking place for Andhra Pradesh ULB elections 2026?
Voting is being held on 1 November 2026, from 7 am to 5 pm, across 11,378 polling centres covering 92 urban local bodies. Vote counting is scheduled for 3 November 2026.
How many voters and candidates are there in the Andhra Pradesh municipal elections?
Nearly 99.35 lakh voters are eligible to vote, and 10,262 candidates are contesting mayoral, chairperson, and ward-level posts across 13 Municipal Corporations and 79 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.
Why were the Andhra Pradesh ULB elections postponed from October 28?
The Supreme Court directed a postponement after violent incidents prevented several candidates from filing their nominations. The elections were rescheduled from 28 October to 1 November 2026.
Which parties are contesting the Andhra Pradesh ULB elections?
The main contest is between the ruling National Democratic Alliance — comprising the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). The NDA is seeking to extend its 2024 dominance; the YSRCP is attempting a comeback after its Assembly election defeat.
Which areas were won unopposed before polling began?
The NDA won chairperson and ward member posts unopposed in eight Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats: Allagadda, Dachepalli, Darsi, Gurajala, Kamalapuram, Piduguralla, Proddatur, and Rayachoti. Chairperson posts of 17 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats were also decided unanimously.
