Naidu Sets Nov. 15 Deadline For Completion Of Local Body Polls

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed AP ministers and MLAs to prepare for local body elections and work towards a clean sweep for the three-party NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh.

The CM set November 15, 2026, as the deadline for completion of the civic polls and the state’s return to normal administration.

Post the AP Cabinet meeting on Saturday, Naidu held a separate meeting with his ministerial colleagues in Amaravati. He announced that ministers in-charge of respective districts would be responsible for the victory of alliance candidates in the local body polls, whose election schedule is yet to be announced.

The TD national president stressed on coordination between Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and BJP leaders and workers, keeping in mind the local political conditions.

The Chief Minister asked ministers and MLAs to remain active on the ground and work towards winning every seat. He expressed confidence that the local body elections would bring new leadership to the forefront.

Discussing reservations for backward classes (BCs) in the forthcoming civic body elections, Naidu recalled that the N.T. Rama Rao government had provided 24 per cent reservations for BCs. The subsequent TD government had increased the quota to 34 per cent, as the BC population had grown considerably in urban areas.

The TD supremo accused YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of undermining the 34 per cent quota introduced by the previous Telugu Desam regime, leading to Andhra Pradesh High Court striking down the BC reservation. He accused the then government of failing to challenge the APHC verdict in the Supreme Court.

The CM accused YSRC of approaching courts to prevent the alliance government from implementing the 34 per cent reservations for BCs. He said his government’s intention is to provide the highest possible reservation and underlined that a 34 per cent quota for BCs would now be provided on a party basis.

Naidu went on to point out that the previous YSRC government had issued orders providing a 34 per cent reservation for BCs without constituting a commission, resulting in the AP High Court striking down the quota. He also referred to the proposal of conducting elections using electoral rolls prepared after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Incidentally, officials had briefed the cabinet on Saturday on findings of the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission on BC reservations.

Asked about preparations to deal with the El Niño conditions, the AP CM asked ministers to ensure that people do not face any hardships. He asserted that the state government has managed the impact of a 34 per cent rainfall deficit to some extent because of storing good amounts of water in the state’s reservoirs during the previous year.

Naidu asked ministers to take greater initiative, continue learning, and maintain contact with the union ministers concerned to expedite matters relating to their departments.

He disclosed that funds for constituency development works would be released to MLAs on Monday and Tuesday, with ₹1 crore being earmarked for each constituency.