Assembly clears panchayat raj reform to expand voter access

Vijayawada: Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved the Andhra Pradesh State Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill- 2026, paving the way for a uniform and more inclusive voter registration system in Panchayati Raj institutions.

The bill was introduced by tourism minister Kandula Durgesh on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister and panchayat raj minister K Pawan Kalyan. The House, chaired by Deputy Speaker K Raghurama Krishna Raju, passed the legislation with unanimous support.

A key feature of the amendment is the introduction of four qualifying dates each year —January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 — for voter eligibility in Panchayati Raj institutions.

Previously, January 1 was the only cut-off date. This meant that youth who turned 18 on January 2 had to wait almost a full year to gain voting rights. With the revised system, eligible citizens will now have four opportunities annually to register as voters.

The four-date system is already in place for Assembly and Parliament elections under central law and is followed in municipalities. By aligning panchayat raj institutions with this structure, the state government aims to create a uniform voter list system across all levels of local governance.

The NDA coalition government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had promulgated an ordinance on December 23, 2025, introducing the reform. The Assembly’s approval now grants it full legal status.

During the discussion, MLAs Lokam Naga Madhavi (Nellimarla), N Eswar Rao (Echcherla) and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdhury (Rajamahendravaram Rural) supported the amendment while stressing the need to eliminate irregularities in voter rolls and ensure transparency in electoral lists.

Minister Durgesh assured members that their suggestions would be conveyed to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for necessary action. Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishna Raju later announced that the bill had been passed unanimously.