G.O. issued on 33.33% quota for Backward Classes in ULB elections in Andhra Pradesh

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Andhra Pradesh has cleared a policy step for holding ordinary elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), authorising the implementation of the 33.33% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.

Principal Secretary to Government S. Suresh Kumar released G.O. Rt. No. 1065 on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), paving the way for election preparations across the State.

In fact, this is one of the poll promises of the NDA during the 2024 general elections.

The elections would be conducted for 100 out of 123 ULBs in the State, excluding the remaining, which were pending in court cases and other legal issues.

The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department said the decision was aimed at completing preparatory activities within a time-bound framework so that the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission could proceed with the election process in accordance with law.

The order noted that Article 243-U provides for five-year municipal terms, while Articles 243-K and 243-ZA vest the State Election Commission with control over electoral rolls and local-body elections.

The order also highlighted the 16th Finance Commission’s Operational Guidelines, under which a duly constituted Urban Local Body was essential for eligibility for Finance Commission grants. Timely elections, therefore, were considered important for democratic governance as well as securing grants meant for ULBs.

Based on a report submitted by the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, the Government permitted steps for ordinary elections to ULBs whose elected councils had already completed their terms and those whose terms were due to expire within the ensuing three months.

The MA&UD Department and the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration were authorised to coordinate with the State Election Commission and other authorities for completing pre-election requirements, including electoral rolls, ward-related processes, reservation notifications and other statutory formalities.

The Government specifically ordered implementation of one-third (33.33%) BC reservations under the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, 1994, and the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965, for the respective urban local bodies.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.