Andhra Pradesh Election Commission Halts Municipal Polls Following Supreme Court Directive

VIJAYAWADA — The State Election Commission (SEC) of Andhra Pradesh ordered an immediate halt to urban local body elections across 100 municipal bodies following directives from the Supreme Court.

The judicial intervention was prompted by petitions and complaints alleging that candidates were prevented from filing their nomination papers due to law and order problems, violence, and security concerns. The affected electoral exercise covers 13 municipal corporations alongside 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats across the state.

Under the Supreme Court’s instructions, the SEC has been directed to defer the publication of the final list of valid contesting candidates until October 25. The commission must also examine complaints, electronic evidence, and representations submitted by affected candidates and petitioners. Furthermore, the apex court ordered the electoral body to extend the nomination period by at least 48 hours in urban local bodies where candidates were allegedly obstructed from contesting.

State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha held two consecutive video conferences with district election authorities on Wednesday night to review the situation. Initially, Mr. Punetha had directed seven district collectors to halt the election process specifically in 19 municipalities where nominations were marred by clashes and violence.

Following receipt of the Supreme Court’s order and subsequent consultations with legal experts, Mr. Punetha convened a second late-night conference involving all 28 district collectors, police commissioners, and superintendents of police.

According to Mr. Punetha, a formal decision regarding the extension of nomination deadlines would be announced on Thursday. The announcement will follow a thorough review of security and situational reports submitted by district collectors and police chiefs across the state.

Nominations for the local body polls had earlier been conducted between October 16 and 18, with the scrutiny of nomination papers taking place on October 19.