Municipal elections in Andhra Pradesh March 30

Municipal elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held March 30, the state election commission announced Monday.

About one crore voters will cast their ballots in 146 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations.

Releasing the schedule, State Election Commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy told the media that the counting of votes will be taken up April 2.

He said the election code of conduct would come into effect immediately. He said there would be no clash with the dates for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and the state assembly.

Reddy said since first round of Lok Sabha elections are likely April 7, they decided to conduct the municipal polls.

The poll schedule was announced a day after Governor E S L Narasimhan gave his nod for the conduct of the municipal elections.

The announcement came hours before state high court is to take up hearing of a petition over the delay in holding the elections.

The high court Feb 3 had pulled up the government over the delay and has threatened to take action against chief secretary if elections are not held in four weeks.

Though the state government approached the Supreme Court, it refused to stay the high court order.

Reddy said the decision to conduct the elections was taken immediately after receiving details of the reservations from the state government.

The municipal elections are being held at a time when the state is under the President's rule and is set to be bifurcated to carve out a separate Telangana state.