Hyderabad, Jul 3 (IANS): Panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held in three phases on July 23, 27 and 31, state Election Commissioner Ramakanth Reddy announced Wednesday.

Elections to 217,578 wards in 21,491 panchayat bodies will be held on revenue division basis in three phases.

Elections to 6,883 panchayats will be held in the first phase while 7,738 bodies will go to polls in the second phase.

The last date for filing of nominations is July 13 while the scrutiny will take place the next day. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is July 17.

The elections to the local bodies are being held after a gap of two years. The election could not be held due to certain problems in providing reservations to various sections.

The Supreme Court in February asked the government to conduct elections to urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions on the basis of the existing 60.5 percent quota to backward classes, Dalits and tribals.

The central government had stopped the release of statutory grants to the tune of Rs.2,600 crore to Panchayati Raj Institutions due to non-conduct of elections.