Andhra Pradesh govt moves High Court against SEC's decision to hold gram panchayat polls

Andhra Presh government on Saturday challenged SEC's decision to hold panchayat elections and also moved a 'House Motion petition' in High Court demanding that poll process be stalled. This comes after state SEC on Friday overruled objections raised by CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led state government and anunced schedule for gram panchayat elections which would be held in 4 phases beginning February 5. 

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Andhra poll chief anunces panchayat election

State Election Commissioner Minnagda Ramesh Kumar, with whom Jagan-Mohan Reddy government has been engd in a battle since March 2020, anunced schedule of panchayat election after his meeting with Chief Secretary itya Nath Das and or top officials.  Reacting to this anuncement me by Andhra poll chief, state government said that schedule of gram panchayat polls was unilateral and amounted to a violation of Supreme Court orders. 

Andhra Presh government said, " SEC h amantly anunced poll schedule without considering state government views."

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Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary GK Dwivedi termed Andhra Presh government's response to SEC's anuncement a 'brazen display of arrogance of power'. According to SEC's schedule, tification for first phase of panchayat polls will be issued on January 23 and polling will be held on February 5. For, second phase, tification will be issued on January 27 and polling is scheduled on February 9. Third phase polling will be held on February 13 and tification for same will be issued on January 31 and final phase will be held on February 17 and tification for it will be issued on February 4. 

Outlining furr details of panchayat election schedule, Andhra poll chief said that model code of conduct would come into force from January 9 in accordance with judgement of Supreme Court. Earlier in day, Chief Secretary along with principal Secretaries Anil Kumar Singhal (Health) and Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, held a meeting with SEC as per directions of High Court.

In meeting, Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government officials said that y were t rey to conduct elections as government machinery would be engd with ministration of Coronavirus vaccine for at least 8 months and due to this conducting an election would t be possible.

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Andhra Presh's resolution against holding local-body polls 

resolution re, "While assembly recognises with respect independence of constitutional bodies specifically conferred with powers, it tes that unilateral decisions without considering bonafide concerns of government would be inconsistent with constitutional scheme."

Andhra Presh legislative assembly h passed this resolution by suggesting that current COVID-19 situation is t conducive for state to conduct February 2021 elections amid COVID-19 pandemic. resolution passed by state assembly demanded that EC should d certain legal provisions in Andhra Presh Panchayat Raj Act 1994 and successive rules to man public health issues should be introduced. 

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(With PTI inputs)