Clear skies after Cyclone Arnab are expected to ensure decent polling percentage in North Andhra districts

Voters form a long queue at Nagavamsapu Street in Vizianagaram to cast their vote on November 1, 2026. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Clear weather is expected to ensure a decent turnout in the Vizianagaram mayoral elections, which got off to a peaceful start on Sunday (November 1, 2026).

As many as 229 polling stations have been set up in 62 divisions in Fort City. A total of 1,649 officials and employees watched the election process. Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and Election Observer Tej Bharat monitored the election process in Vizianagaram as well as other parts of the district. District officials heaved a sigh of relief with clear skies on Sunday as the district was badly hit by the impact of the recent Cyclone Arnab.

As many as 2.23 lakh voters will elect the new mayor among seven candidates, including TDP candidate Avanapu Bharagavi, YSRCP candidate Kolagatl Sravani and Congress candidate Boora Iswharya Lakshmi. Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Lingala Parvati, Aam Admi Party candidate Kota Suneetha, independent Sparsha Chowdary, Bellana Santosh Kumari are also trying their luck in the elections. . As many as 169 corporator candidates are contesting in 62 divisions of Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation.

In the previous elections, the YSR Congress Party won 48 divisions out of 50, which were now 62 with the expansion of the city. TDP won only one seat and was also elected as an independent but later joined YSRCP. The indirect election held in 2021 helped YSRCP corporator Vempadapu Vijaya Lakshmi to become the mayor of the city.

The TDP, which lost the 2021 local body elections, defeated the YSRCP in the 2024 assembly elections. TDP candidate Aditi Vijaya Lakshmi Gajapathi Raju, who defeated YSRCP candidate Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy by a margin of 60,609 votes, tried hard to ensure Ms. Bhargavi’s victory. The ruling party took the election as a challenge as it was restricted to only one division in the earlier local body elections. Mr Veerabhadra Swamy, who defeated Ms Aditi in the 2019 general elections, is eyeing the victory of his daughter Kolagatla Sravani, who previously served as deputy mayor from 2021 to 2026. The TDP is contesting 48 constituencies and its alliance partner Jana Sena Party has fielded candidates in ten divisions. BJP got four divisions during the seat sharing deal.

Besides Vizianagaram, elections are being held for Bobbili and Nellimarla civic bodies in Vizianagaram district. A total of 497 officials and employees are monitoring the election in 69 polling stations in Bobbili where TDP and YSRCP are making a strong bid for victory. In previous elections, YSRCP won Bobbili and Nellimarla civic bodies. It is important to keep both seats. Civic elections began peacefully in the flood-affected towns of Ichchapuram and Palasa in Srikakulam district. Elections were peaceful in Salur, Parvatipuram and Palakonda municipalities in Parvatipuram-Manyam district. Officials are hoping for more than 80 percent polling in the respective civic bodies as the weather is clear in the North Andhra region.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 09:23 IST