Dasari Srinivasa Rao Vijayawada

Electionsto the posts of Mandal Parishad Presidents (MPPs) and Vice-Presidents in NTR and Krishna districts will be held on November 19, while elections to the Zilla Parishad Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons will be conducted on November 20. Elections to co-option members of the Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads will also be held on the respective dates.

NTR district has 16 mandals with 16 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) segments and 280 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) members.

Krishna district has 26 mandals, 26 ZPTC segments and 352 MPTC members. The newly elected representatives will participate in the indirect elections to choose the respective local body office-bearers.

The presiding officers and election authorities concerned will conduct the elections during special meetings convened at the respective Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad offices. Notices will be served on all MPTC and ZPTC members by November 14, informing them of the election schedule.

As per the prescribed procedure, elections to co-option members will be conducted first, followed by the election of MPPs and Vice-Presidents in the Mandal Parishads. Similarly, in the Zilla Parishads, co-option members will be elected first, followed by the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

For the special meetings convened to elect Zilla Parishad office-bearers, Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will also be invited. However, they will not have voting rights, as the election of Zilla Parishad Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons is restricted to eligible ZPTC members. The elections will be conducted through a show of hands. Each Mandal Parishad will elect one co-option member, while each Zilla Parishad will elect two. In the event of a tie, the result will be decided by drawing lots.

Recognised political parties can issue whips through their authorised representatives in the prescribed Annexure-I format, in accordance with State Election Commission guidelines. The whips must be submitted within the stipulated time. However, there is no provision for issuing a whip in elections to co-option members.

The elections will pave the way for the formation of elected leadership in the Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads following the recent MPTC and ZPTC elections in the two districts.