Andhra Pradesh is all set to have panchayat elections in February, after a prolonged delay due to the pandemic and ongoing hostility between State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar and the YSRCP government. The period for filing nominations for the first phase of polls concluding on Sunday. In spite of the government announcing financial incentives to gram panchayats to encourage unanimous elections, a total of 19,491 nominations were filed for sarpanch posts, and 79,799 nominations were filed for ward member posts for the first phase. The first phase of polls will be conducted on February 9, followed by subsequent phases on February 13, 17 and 21.
Sunday saw the highest number of candidates filing their nominations. According to The New Indian Express, on Sunday alone, 10,715 nominations were filed for sarpanch posts, and 54,256 nominations were filed for ward member posts. The first phase will involve polls in around 3,335 village panchayats and 33,632 wards, falling under 18 revenue divisions of 12 districts.
Chittoor district saw the highest number of nominations filed for the sarpanch post, followed by East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts, The Hindu reported.
The state government had announced financial incentives towards development work in gram panchayats, to encourage unanimous elections. The incentives ranged from Rs 5 lakh to gram panchayats with a population less than 2,000 to Rs 10 lakh to those with a population between 2,001 to 5,000, and Rs 20 lakh to panchayats with a population above 10,000 will receive Rs 20 lakh. "If elections to gram panchayats are held on party basis, there is a possibility that political rivalry, enmity and intense animosity may grow among competing parties, thereby hampering harmony and speedy development," Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das had said in a government order.
However, nominations have been filed in considerable numbers, even as the TDP and YSRCP continued to trade allegations over intimidating candidates of rival parties.