*Must be fully prepared for municipal elections 2026* *Arrangements to hold elections whenever they come* *Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration S. Suresh Kumar gave directions at the regional conference through video conferencing* *Election duties should be carried out impartially: CDMA P. Sampath Kumar* *Every officer needs to have complete understanding of the election rules: Vijayawada Commissioner Dhyanachandra* *Municipal elections should be conducted efficiently and transparently: Rajahmundry Commissioner Rahul Meena*

East Godavari District, Rajamahendravaram, October 1 (Punnami News): Municipal Administration Department Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar and Municipal Administration Director P. Sampath Kumar have ordered that the concerned officials should be prepared in every way for the conduct of Municipal General Elections-2026. They have been advised to complete advance arrangements to conduct the elections without any problems whenever they come. A regional conference on the preparedness for the ‘Municipal Elections-2026′ elections was organized under the auspices of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on Thursday at Surya Gardens on JN Road. Municipal Commissioners, Election Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers from seven districts and 25 urban local bodies under the jurisdiction of the combined East, West Godavari and Krishna districts participated. First, Chief Secretary S. Suresh Kumar addressed the officials through a video conference. *Preparations for elections in 25 urban local bodies* Suresh Kumar said that out of the total 34 urban local bodies in the Rajahmundry region, except for nine that are under court cases, steps have been taken to conduct elections in the remaining 25 urban local bodies. He said that preparations are underway to conduct elections in about 100 municipalities and municipal bodies across the state. He said that legal issues related to the re-division of wards and the voters’ list have been resolved. He said that elections can now be held in urban local bodies where elections were stalled due to Act-5, merger of neighboring villages, ward division disputes, and court cases. He advised that the orders issued by the State Election Commission should be followed from time to time and necessary arrangements should be made for the current election process, he said. He said that the problematic and most problematic areas should be identified in advance and appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the elections are held impartially, peacefully and smoothly. He ordered that drinking water, toilets, ramps for the disabled, electricity, lighting and other basic facilities should be inspected in advance and made available so that voters coming to the polling stations do not face any difficulties. He advised that any doubts the officials have regarding the election process should be resolved in advance. *Rules should be followed strictly* CDMA P. Sampathkumar said that the officials should have complete understanding of the State Election Commission guidelines. He advised that all advance arrangements should be completed without any mistakes or violations of rules. He said that the prescribed procedures should be strictly followed in matters such as preparation, publication of voter lists, identification of polling stations, etc. He said that the official election guide book also has clear procedures regarding the preparation of voter lists and establishment of polling stations. He stated that this time the mayoral election will be held in a direct manner. Therefore, ward-wise voter lists should be prepared and displayed properly as per the rules. It was suggested that polling stations should be identified in advance and necessary infrastructure should be provided, and details related to reservations for SC, ST, BC and women should be prepared in a prescribed manner. Government rules and election rules should be strictly followed in the reservation process. Sampath Kumar stated that the conduct of elections is also a key aspect in the process of funds related to the 16th Finance Commission being received by urban local bodies. He clarified that the officials participating in election duties should act impartially and neutrally. Election rules and regulations should be strictly followed at every stage from the time the notification is issued until the counting of votes is completed. * Advance notification on polling stations
Observation* Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner Dhyanachandra said that issues related to the conduct of elections, such as the identification of polling stations, examination of their areas, and suitability for setting up polling stations on the ground floors of buildings, should be thoroughly examined in advance. He said that while there is a population of more than eight lakhs under the jurisdiction of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, 64 wards have recently been increased to 86. He said that the reservation process will have to be carried out as per the applicable population details, government rules and prescribed procedures. He suggested that every officer should have complete understanding of the election rules. *Transparent Election Management* Rajahmundry Municipal Commissioner Rahul Meena said that the officers should work in coordination to conduct the elections of the Municipal Corporation effectively and transparently. He said that every officer should perform the election responsibilities assigned to him effectively as per the rules and work without any mistakes. He suggested that necessary advance action should be taken to ensure that the election process runs smoothly. *Comprehensive training on the election process* After that, Additional Director S. Ravindra Babu provided a comprehensive understanding of the municipal election preparation and management process to the officials through a visual presentation. He explained the preliminary steps to be taken before the election notification is issued, the procedures to be followed after the notification, the preparation of voter lists, the establishment of polling stations, the duties of election staff, the management of polling, the precautions to be taken at various stages from the management of election equipment to the counting of votes. Regional Director CH Naga Narasimha Rao, Eluru Municipal Commissioner A. Bhanupratap, Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner Bapiraju, Additional Commissioner (RMC) P.V. Ramalingeshwar, Deputy Commissioner S. Venkataramana, Secretary Sailajavalli and others participated in the program.