A.P. challenges HC order to hold local body elections polls
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If gram panchayat elections are performed in February, it’ll conflict with vaccination drive, it tells SC
The Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy authorities on Friday challenged within the Supreme Court an Andhra Pradesh High Court order permitting the State Election Commission to conduct local body elections in February amid the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
The High Court, on January 21, put aside its Single Judge Bench choice on January 11 to halt the election course of in the interim.
Seeking a keep of the January 21 order, the State authorities, by means of advocate Mahfooz A. Nazki, has arraigned as respondent events the State Election Commission (SEC) and N. Ramesh Kumar, Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner.
The particular depart petition stated the SEC led by Mr. Kumar determined to hold the gram panchayat elections regardless of the vaccination drive and the unfold of the virus.
“The entire police force of the State is scheduled to be vaccinated with effect from first week of February. This is when the elections are scheduled. In effect, the police will be required to (i) ensure that the entire police force is vaccinated; (ii) ensure that the elections are conducted (ii) ensure storage and transport of the vaccine,” the petition stated.
Besides, the SEC had not consulted any well being consultants earlier than giving the go-ahead for the polls.
“Not only has the respondent rejected the concerns raised by the State [which were shared only after consulting the health experts of the State], a perusal of the material on record would reveal that no health experts have been consulted by the respondent to take such a decision,” the State authorities criticised.
‘State not consulted’
The State submitted within the petition that even the mandate of the High Court to hold efficient session with the State was ignored.
“The directions passed by the High Court, the respondent was under a mandate to take into account the views of the petitioner/State government before taking any decision on holding of elections in the State… The petitioner has duly shared these concerns. However, the same have been summarily rejected,” the petition stated.
The State stated it was in an “unfortunate position” to apprise the highest court docket that the “only consideration that appears to have weighed with respondent No.2 (Mr. Kumar) to declare elections is that he is retiring in March 2021 and wishes to conduct the election before that”.
“The fact that such election can put the vaccination drive into a disarray and endanger the lives of lakhs of citizens does not appear to have weighed with the respondent No.2… any election at this stage would be ill-conceived,” the State stated.
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