Andhra Pradesh urban elections launch with heavy security and live monitoring

Urban local body elections kicked off across Andhra Pradesh early Thursday, with polling for mayors, chairpersons and ward members in 13 municipal corporations and 79 municipalities and nagar panchayats starting at 7 a.m. under heavy security. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha and his officers are overseeing the process personally, installing CCTV cameras and deploying drones at spots where clashes were expected. Law‑and‑order officials focused on maintaining peace after violent incidents marred the nomination filing stage. Security teams were deployed at 142 critical, 7,070 sensitive and 4,262 hypersensitive polling stations throughout the urban bodies. A close watch is being kept on any breaches of the Model Code of Conduct. Polling is set to close at 5 p.m., and any required repolling will be held on November 2. In Vijayawada’s Rajarajeswari Peta, voters queued outside Polling Station 2 of the 55th ward; polling there began at 9 a.m. after a printing error in party‑symbol allotment to two candidates caused a delay. The election machinery aims to ensure a smooth vote in the state’s densely populated urban centres.

Context

Urban local body elections determine local leadership that manages city services, waste collection and street lighting. Tight security and monitoring are common in Indian elections where past incidents have raised concerns about violence and code‑of‑conduct violations.