All You Need To Know About AP Local Body Elections 2020

AMARAVATI: As many as 2.82 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the elections to second and third tier of panchayat raj institutions to be held on March 21 in the first phase of the four-phase polls to rural and urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh.

The five-year term of the local bodies ended in July last year but the elections were delayed as the reservation of seats was not finalised.

The government earlier issued an order providing for a total 59.85 per cent quota for SCs, STs and BCs in all local bodies, but was struck down by the High Court.

It directed the government to re-do the reservation, restricting the quota to 50 per cent in line with the Supreme Court orders.

Accordingly, the state government notified the new quota, paving the way for the elections.

As per the new quota, STs will get 6.77 per cent, SCs 19.08 per cent and BCs 24.15 per cent.Previously the BC quota was 34 per cent.

Also Read: AP Zilla Parishad Chairman Reservations, Notification Released

Elections will be held for all the 660 zilla parishad territorial constituencies and 9,984 out of 10,047 mandal parishad territorial constituencies on March 21 and results will be declared on March 24.

In all 33,663 polling stations are being set up for MPTC and ZPTCs, of which 11,251 have been identified as hyper-sensitive, according to the State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar.

He said 15 senior IAS officers were being deployed as general observers to all 13 districts while 15 IFS officers would be the expenditure observers.

A total of 2,01,978 staff would be used for poll duties.

Filing of nominations for the MPTC and ZPTC polls would be from March 9 to 11.

"We are conducting the elections in accordance with the recent Ordinance promulgated amending the AP Panchayat Raj Act. This curtails the duration of poll process to just 13 days," the SEC said.

The elections to municipalities and municipal corporations would be held on March 23 and results declared on March 27. Elections to gram panchayats would be conducted in two phases on March 27 and 29, he said.

Also Read: AP Local Body Elections 2020 |Schedule Notification Released By SEC

ZPTC and MPTC election schedule: Single Phase

March 7: Notification Released.

March 9-11: Receipt of nominations.

March 12: Scrutiny of nominations.

March 14: Deadline for withdrawal of nominations.

March 21: Conduct of polls.

March 24: Counting of votes.

Municipal Bodies election schedule: Single Phase

March 9: Notification Released.

March 11-13: Receipt of nominations.

March 14: Scrutiny of nominations.

March 16: Deadline for withdrawal of nominations.

March 23: Conduct of polls.

March 27: Counting of votes.

Gram Panchayat election schedule:First Phase

March 15: Notification Released.

March 17-19: Receipt of nominations.

March 20: Scrutiny of nominations.

March 22: Deadline for withdrawal of nominations.

March 27: Conduct of polls.

March 27: Counting of votes.

Gram Panchayat election schedule:Second Phase

March 17: Notification Released.

March 19-21: Receipt of nominations.

March 22: Scrutiny of nominations.

March 24: Deadline for withdrawal of nominations.March 29: Conduct of polls.

March 29: Counting of votes

Ramesh Kumar said the model code of conduct would come into force with immediate effect and no new schemes should be implemented in the state.

Similarly, a ban on transfer of government officials and employees would be in place till the poll process was completed, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released a mobile App called 'Nigha' (surveillance) to enable people to alert polling staff and police on distribution of liquor and money in the local polls.

Violations of other nature could also be reported through the app, which would get registered in the control room for officials concerned to take necessary action.

The Ordinance amending the AP PR Act also has a stringent provision that disqualifies a candidate found guilty of distributing liquor and/or money to voter.

Also Read: Ahead Of AP Civic Polls, Nigha App Launched To Curb Election Malpractices