The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (APSEC) issued the notification on 19 October 2026 for the second ordinary elections to 659 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and 9,829 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs). Polling is on 3 November and counting is on 5 November.
The news: election points
- The state has 663 ZPTC and 9,858 MPTC seats. Polls are not being held for 4 ZPTC and 29 MPTC seats, because four mandals in the Amaravati region are excluded. Local bodies there will be formed later, depending on the state government’s decision.
- Each revenue mandal is one ZPTC constituency.
- The elections will be held under 28 Zilla Parishads, up from 13 before the districts were reorganised.
- About 2.8 crore voters are eligible: 1.3 crore men and 1.4 crore women.
- Schedule: nominations close on 23 October and are scrutinised on 24 October. Appeals against rejected nominations are filed on 25 October and decided by 26 October. The last date for withdrawal is 27 October. Polling is on 3 November, any repoll on 4 November, and counting on 5 November.
- Elected members then choose the Mandal Parishad Presidents and Zilla Parishad Chairpersons through indirect elections. Those special meetings are on 11 and 12 November.
- The expenditure limit is ₹4 lakh for an MPTC candidate and ₹8 lakh for a ZPTC candidate.
- State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha issued the notification. Before that, the Commission suspended the Mydukur municipal election in Kadapa district after nomination papers were torn there. This shows its power of superintendence over local body polls.
State Election Commission: what the Constitution says
- Article 243K: The superintendence, direction and control of preparing electoral rolls and conducting all panchayat elections is vested in the State Election Commission. It has a State Election Commissioner, who is appointed by the Governor.
- The State Legislature decides the Commissioner’s conditions of service and tenure, but they cannot be varied to the Commissioner’s disadvantage after appointment.
- The State Election Commissioner can be removed only in the manner and on the grounds that apply to a High Court judge.
- When asked, the Governor must provide the staff the SEC needs.
- Article 243ZA: applies the same SEC to municipal elections (74th Amendment).
- Article 243O: courts cannot interfere with the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats. A panchayat election can be challenged only through an election petition under state law.
- Kishansing Tomar v. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (2006): the Supreme Court held that elections must be completed before the five-year term ends, and that the SEC can approach the courts if the state does not cooperate.
- In Andhra Pradesh, panchayat elections are governed by the AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The SEC sits in Vijayawada.
Read more: 73rd Amendment: Panchayati Raj Institutions | 74th Amendment: Municipalities and Urban Local Bodies
73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992
- It added Part IX (“The Panchayats”, Articles 243 to 243O) and the Eleventh Schedule, which lists 29 subjects.
- It came into force on 24 April 1993. That date is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day.
- Article 243B: sets up three tiers: village, intermediate and district. States with a population of 20 lakh or less may skip the intermediate tier. In AP the tiers are the Gram Panchayat, the Mandal Parishad and the Zilla Parishad.
- Article 243A: provides for the Gram Sabha.
- Article 243D: provides reservation for SCs, STs and women.
- Article 243E: fixes a five-year term. If a panchayat is dissolved, it must be re-elected within six months.
- Article 243G: covers the powers and functions of panchayats, read with the Eleventh Schedule.
- Article 243H: lets panchayats levy taxes and receive grants.
- Article 243I: requires a State Finance Commission every five years.
- Article 243K: provides for the State Election Commission.
Reservation in AP local bodies
The constitutional base: Under Article 243D, seats for SCs and STs are reserved in proportion to their population. At least one-third of the seats are reserved for women, including within the SC and ST quotas, and seats rotate. States may also reserve seats for backward classes.
The rules for these polls: The APSEC training material says the state government, not the SEC, fixes reservations. SC and ST shares follow population under the AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The Panchayat Raj Department’s 2026 rules set these conditions:
- The combined SC, ST and BC reservation must not exceed 50%.
- Seats are allotted in this order: ST, then SC, then BC.
- 50% of the seats in every category, including unreserved seats, go to women.
- Women’s reservation rotates over two elections.
BC quota and the triple test:
- In K. Krishna Murthy (2010), the Supreme Court upheld BC reservation in local bodies but said it needs empirical backing.
- In Vikas Kishanrao Gawali (2021), it laid down a triple test: a dedicated commission, a quota fixed on the basis of its data, and an overall cap of 50% for SC, ST and OBC together.
- Applying these rulings, the AP High Court set aside the government orders that gave BCs 34% in panchayats and 33.33% in urban bodies, because they breached the 50% ceiling. It also refused to order BC sub-classification. See AP BC reservation in local bodies and AP BC Reservation Commission 2026.
SC sub-classification:
- In State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (1 August 2024), a seven-judge bench ruled 6:1 that states can sub-classify Scheduled Castes.
- AP then set up a one-man commission under retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, through G.O. Ms. No. 86 of 15 November 2024.
- Based on its report, AP brought in the AP Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Ordinance, 2025, later replaced by Act 22 of 2025. It splits the 15% SC quota among 59 castes in three groups:
- Group I: 12 castes, 1%
- Group II: 18 castes, including Madiga, 6.5%
- Group III: 29 castes, including Mala and Adi Andhra, 7.5%
- It uses a 200-point roster.
- The law covers public service jobs, promotions and admissions to educational institutions. None of the official sources we checked says it applies to local body seats. Treat it as a jobs and education measure.
Why it can be asked
APPSC and TGPSC regularly ask about Article 243K, the three-tier structure, the 50% ceiling and state-level reservation laws. UPSC GS-2 links all of this to federalism and social justice, and the Davinder Singh case and the triple test are frequent prelims topics.
Key facts for quick revision
- Seats: 659 ZPTC of 663 and 9,829 MPTC of 9,858.
- Dates: notification 19 October; polling 3 November; counting 5 November.
- Zilla Parishads: 28, up from 13.
- Voters: about 2.8 crore.
- Spending limits: ₹4 lakh for MPTC; ₹8 lakh for ZPTC.
- AP State Election Commissioner: Anil Chandra Punetha.
- Article 243K: SEC for panchayats. 243ZA: for municipalities. 243O: bar on courts.
- SEC appointment and removal: appointed by the Governor; removed like a High Court judge.
- 73rd Amendment: Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule (29 subjects); in force from 24 April 1993.
- Article 243D: women get at least one-third of seats; AP gives 50%.
- Triple test: Vikas Kishanrao Gawali (2021).
- SC sub-classification: Davinder Singh (2024), 6:1. AP split is 1% + 6.5% + 7.5% = 15%.
Sources
- News18 / PTI: Andhra SEC issues notification
- APSEC: Election Schedule 2026
- APSEC: Latest updates
- APSEC: MPTC/ZPTC Training Material 2026
- Great Andhra: 50% reservation for women in AP local polls
- The Hindu: AP High Court sets aside 34% BC quota
- PRS: AP Scheduled Castes (Sub-Classification) Act, 2025
- The Hindu: AP promulgates SC sub-classification ordinance
- G.O. Ms. No. 19, Social Welfare, 18 June 2025 (sub-classification in promotions)
- Constitution of India: Part IX and Part IXA
