Direct Polls for Mayors, Municipal Chiefs Get AP Assembly Nod

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed the Municipal Laws (Fourth Amendment) Bill, paving the way for direct elections to mayors and municipal chairpersons.

Municipal administration minister P. Narayana, who introduced the bill, said the amendment would replace the existing indirect election system. Mayors and chairpersons were elected indirectly until 1986, directly from 1986 to 2005, and indirectly again since 2005.

With the assembly passing the bill, the legislative route has been cleared for restoring direct elections to mayors and municipal chairpersons in the state. Narayana said direct elections would give urban heads a stronger popular mandate as voters would elect them directly rather than councillors or corporators choosing them. This, he said, would also reduce the latter’s influence over mayors and chairpersons.

The minister said directly elected leaders could take quicker decisions and accelerate urban development projects. They would be able to prepare and implement long-term plans covering roads, drainage, drinking water, public transport, waste management and urban planning. Directly elected mayors and chairpersons would also be better placed to coordinate with government departments and agencies, helping speed up development works, he said.

Narayana said the system would provide greater scope to attract investments and promote industries and tourism in urban areas. It could also reduce political influence on urban heads and enable them to focus on the needs of all sections of the population. He said the amendment was aimed at ensuring popular leadership, faster decision-making, better inter-departmental coordination and sustained urban development.