Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh would go for elections to Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies on April 8. The state election commission issued a notification here on Thursday to resume the election process for these entities and released the schedule for the polls.
Accordingly, polling will be held wherever necessary on April 8 from 7am to 5pm and a re-poll can be held on April 9 from 7am to 5pm. Counting will be on April 10 from 8am and the results will be declared after the counting.
With the issue of notification, the model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect in rural areas of the state. It will remain in force till the end of the election process.
Election will not be held to any MPTC/ZPTC where a court stay is in force or it is not feasible due to administrative/legal impediments. Election will not be held in case of territorial consciences, where death of a contesting candidate occurred. A notification on this will be issued separately.
A notification had been issued on March 7 last year for conduct of elections to MPTCs and ZPTCs in the state and the process was completed up to the stage of publication of the final list of contesting candidates on March 14 last.
Subsequently, the SEC stopped the election process for six weeks due to the Covid-19 restrictions since March 15 last year. Subsequently, the SEC conducted polls to gram panchayats in four phases from Feb 9, to 21 this year, as also to municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats and completed these on March 18.
New SEC, Nilam Sawhney, after assuming charge on Thursday for a period of five years, met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and briefed him about the preparations for conduct of polls to the MPTCs/ZPTCs. She held a meeting with chief secretary Aditya Nath Das and senior officials and took stock of the situation.
Later, the state government informed the SEC about its preparedness for resumption of elections to MPTCs/ZPTCS and pleaded for early resumption of the election process.
Accordingly, the state election commissioner held a video conference with collectors, superintendents/commissioners of police and chief executive officers of Zilla Praja Parishads and reviewed their preparedness for the suspended elections. Later, the SEC issued the notification to resume the election process from where it was stopped last year.
