Municipal polls in Telangana on January 22

The State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday released the schedule for conducting elections to 120 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations in the State. The model code of conduct came into force with immediate effect, even as the election notification is scheduled to be issued on January 7.

Polling will be held for all 2,727 wards in 120 municipalities and 385 wards in 10 municipal corporations on January 22, while counting of votes will be conducted on January 25. As per schedule, last date for submission of nominations is January 10 and scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on January 11 and last date for withdrawal of nominations by the candidates is January 14, following which the final list of contesting candidates will be published on the same day.

In all, about 70 of the total 142 ULBs, including municipal corporations in the State, will face elections for the first time as the State government created them recently. Besides the municipal corporations of Karimnagar, Ramagundam and Nizamabad, elections will be held for the newly created municipal corporations of Badangpet, Meerpet, Bandlaguda Jagir, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jawaharnagar and



Nizampet.

“Elections will not be held for 12 ULBs due to pending court cases and other issues. The State government had already submitted ward-wise reservations based on which election schedule has been released. Orders have been issued for publication of draft photo electoral rolls on December 30,” said an official in the Commission.

Following release of draft photo electoral rolls for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the municipal commissioners will receive objections from voters from December 31 to January 2 and all objections will be disposed of on January 3. Final publication of ward-wise photo electoral rolls will be done by the municipal commissioners concerned on January 4.

After publication of ward-wise municipal electoral rolls, the authorities will continue to take up inclusions, deletions or corrections up to the date of election notification. Simultaneously, the State Election Commission directed the District Election Authorities to hold meeting with representatives of political parties at the district level on December 31. The municipal commissioners concerned will hold meetings with local representatives of all political parties on January 1.