Even as the YSR Congress party, the main opposition in Andhra Pradesh led by former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is yet to come out of the shock from the debacle in the recent by-elections to the ZPTC seats in Pulivenudla and Vontimitta, the ruling Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government gave it yet another surprise.
According to official sources, the state government is contemplating conducting the local bodies in January itself, at least three months ahead of the completion of the term of the present elected local bodies.
While the present tenure of sarpanches will end in April, the term of corporators and councillors in municipalities, municipal corporations and urban panchayats will end by March end.
As per the local bodies’ act, elections could be held three months before the completion of the term of the elected bodies. Therefore, the government is contemplating conducting the elections in January, sources said.
State Election Commissioner Neelam Sahni has written to the government, stressing the need to prepare for the elections as the tenure of municipal bodies ends on March 17, 2026. She has also issued a preparatory schedule.
The SEC instructed officials to complete delimitation and reservation processes by October 15, prepare ward-wise voter lists by November 15, appoint returning officers between November 1–15, and finalize polling stations by November 16.
The election exercise must be wrapped up by November 30, with reservations finalized by December 15. Consultations with political parties and senior officials will be held in the last week of December, and polls are expected in January 2026.
Sahni also clarified that elections to gram panchayats will follow in July 2026, along with MPTC/ZPTC polls.
Following the 2024 regime change, these polls have become a prestige issue between the TDP-led coalition and the YSRCP.
For the government, it is an opportunity to prove its popularity, while for Jagan, who has often claimed rising anti-incumbency, these elections will be crucial to reaffirm his political strength.