Andhra Pradesh assembly passes bill for direct polls to Urban Local Bodies

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Fourth Amendment) Bill, paving the way for the reintroduction of direct elections for Mayors in Municipal Corporations as well as Chairpersons in Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats throughout the state.

What happened

Moving the bill on the floor of the House, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana stated that the amendment replaces the existing indirect election model with a direct voting mechanism, allowing citizens to elect their urban civic leaders directly.

After which the state transitioned to direct elections from 1986 to 2005, tracing the evolution of urban local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, Minister Narayana observed that indirect elections were conducted until 1986.

Nevertheless, the state reverted to indirect elections for the past two decades.

The bottom line

In short, andhra Pradesh assembly passes bill for direct polls to Urban Local Bodies is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.