Vizianagaram mayoral poll shifted to October 29 over Sirimanotsavam; counting stays on October 30

Devotees in Sirimanotsavam of Goddess Pydithalli Ammavaru in Vizianagaram. The mayoral elections are being moved to October 29 due to the festival. File | Photo Credit: Special Event

Vizianagaram mayoral election has been postponed to October 29 due to Sirimanotsavam to be held on October 27 in Fort City.

On the request of Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and other officials, the State Election Commission (SEC) agreed to hold the election on 29 October instead of 28 October 2026. The Collector said that the entire administration would be busy with the annual Sirimanotsavam of goddess Pydithalli Ammavaru and it would be difficult to hold the election on the next day.

The Hindu reported on the issue in “Government finds it difficult to hold Sirimanotsavam mayoral election in Vizianagaram on October 27-28”, published on 15 October 2026. The Collector and other officials sent the article to The Hindu SEC saying that election materials could not be moved to polling booths in the originally scheduled October 27 corporation divisions.

The SEC accepted the government’s request and postponed the election by one day. However, the counting of votes would take place on October 30, 2026 along with other corporations and municipalities.

Elections in the other 99 urban local bodies remain on October 28. The Vizianagaram Corporation will elect its mayor and 62 corporators and 2,23,050 voters are expected to cast their votes in 229 polling stations in the city. The Sirimanotsavam, which attracts devotees from all over Andhra Pradesh and neighboring states, precedes the Vizianagaram Utsavam on October 25 and 26.

Published – 21 October 2026 16:15 IST