Notwithstanding the announcement of the Mayor post being reserved for general category, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation may not go to the polls immediately. Following the challenging of the merger of five fishermen villages along with Bheemunipatnam and Anakapalle municipalities in the High Court, the delimitation of wards could not be taken up.
The court had set aside the merger of K. Nagarampalem, Kapuluppada, Chepaluppada, Nidigattu, and J.V. Agraharam in September last after a writ petition filed by the villagers stated that notice was not issued to them. The court is also dealing with the plea of the villagers that elections be held to the five panchayats.
The Panchayat Raj Department had expressed some reservations over the merger of the villages, it was learnt.
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The government would have to issue a final G.O., paving the way for taking up the process of delimitation of wards, said sources in the GVMC. Based on the delimitation, wards have to be reserved for SC, ST, and BC categories and women. The process may take up to six months.
Only then would the GVMC be in a position to take up the elections.