Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said the State Election Commission is ready to conduct local body elections but will announce the schedule only after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the reservations framework. The elections will cover local bodies across the state and will be held in phases after the state government finalises reservations in line with the court’s ruling.
Punetha reviewed the preparations during a video conference with district collectors, superintendents of police, municipal commissioners, zilla parishad chief executive officers, district panchayat officers and other officials. He said the commission had been preparing for the elections for the past two months and was ready to begin the statutory process once the legal and administrative requirements were completed.
The polls will be conducted using ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines. Punetha said ballot boxes had already been readied for the respective local bodies, while the commission was also working to finalise a printing press for ballot papers.
The electoral rolls to be used for the elections will be photo rolls finalised up to February 5, 2026. The timing of the election schedule will depend on the Supreme Court verdict and the state government’s completion of the reservation process. The commission has not announced polling dates.
The State Election Commissioner instructed district and civic officials to identify sensitive and very sensitive polling stations before the elections. Police and administrative authorities were asked to take stringent security measures to ensure that polling is conducted properly across the state.
Punetha also stressed that officials must follow the statutory election process and complete it within 15 days, as provided under the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Acts. That requirement will shape the operational timetable once the schedule is notified, with officials required to coordinate polling arrangements across municipalities, panchayats and other local bodies.
The announcement places the next step in the election process with the Supreme Court and the state government. The commission is expected to announce the polling schedule after the court’s verdict and after reservations are finalised in accordance with the ruling.
