AP HC adjourns hearing on SEC appeal against stay on panchayat poll

The Andhra Pradesh High Court onTuesday deferred to January 18 the hearing of an appeal filedby the State Election Commission (SEC) against a single judgebench order suspending the schedule of elections to grampanchayats on grounds it would hamper COVID-19 vaccinationprogramme.

A division bench comprising justices U Durga Prasad andKrishna Mohan conducted a preliminary hearing on the SECsappeal but it remained inconclusive.

Since the court will be on Sankranti vacation fromWednesday, the appeal will be taken up for further hearing inthe regular course on the January 18, sources said.

Passing orders on a plea by the state government, Judge MGanga Rao on Monday suspended the schedule announced by theSEC for conducting elections to gram panchayats in four phasesnext month, observing it would hamper the COVID-19 vaccinationprogramme, set to begin on January 16.

The SEC immediately filed an appeal before the divisionbench against the order, contending that it was incontradiction to the Supreme Court guidelines.

Overruling the objections raised by the government, theSEC on Friday night announced the schedule for the polls to beheld on February 5, 9, 13 and 17.

State Election Commissioner Ramesh Kumar had announced theschedule hours after his meeting with Chief Secretary AdityaNath Das and other top officials.

The state government challenged the SECs announcementsaying that conduct of gram panchayat elections simultaneousto the coronavirus vaccination programme would be difficult.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Kumar called on Governor BiswabhusanHarichandan in the Raj Bhavan in Vijayawada and discussed theprevailing situation.

The SEC reportedly explained to the Governor that heannounced the schedule for the gram panchayat elections sinceit was a Constitutional requirement and also vital to drawCentral grants for the local bodies, sources said.

The SEC also informed the Governor about the appeal filedin the high court, they added.

In a related development, the SEC surrendered itsSecretary G Vani Mohan to the government, saying her serviceswere not required in the poll body.

He accordingly issued an order relieving Vani Mohan fromthe Secretarys post and communicated it to state ChiefSecretary Aditya Nath Das.

Invoking the ''plenary powers'' of the Commission, RameshKumar also discharged the SECs Joint Director G V Sai Prasadfrom service ''to safeguard the integrity of the ongoingelection process in the state''.

''Since this is not an honourable discharge, but dismissalwith disgrace, Sai Prasad will not be entitled for anyterminal benefits and barred from entering any othergovernment service either directly or indirectly, theCommissioner said in a strongly worded order.

The official had gone on a month's leave withoutintimation after announcement of the poll schedule.