Urban Local Body polls: AP SEC directive to keep ward volunteers away from election duty

Taking a serious view of the complaints from opposition parties, the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission on Sunday directed all district Collectors to keep the ward volunteers away from the election process for the urban local body polls scheduled for March 10.

State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar said acting in furtherance of any partisan interest by any ward volunteer would come under corrupt practices as per the election laws and thus becomes a criminally chargeable offence.

The YSR Congress government appointed ward volunteers, mostly party workers and sympathisers, in each urban local body to deliver public services at the citizens doorsteps.

A similar set up has been put in place in villages as well.

''Serious complaints concerning Ward Volunteers, as in the case of Gram Panchayat elections, were brought to the notice of the Commission during the consultative process with the political parties.

The Commission views the participation of ward volunteers in election process either directly or indirectly in support of a candidate or a political party as a serious violation of Model Code of Conduct,'' the SEC said in a release.

Strict neutrality governed all categories of government servants and the volunteers were no exception, he pointed out, adding any evidence in deviation of the Commissions directive would result in their summary discharge.

''The Commission has come to a considered view that sterner measures are necessary to ensure free and fair polls by completely isolating the Ward Volunteers from Urban Local Body polls, which are fought in a highly-charged atmosphere on party lines,'' Ramesh Kumar added.

The SEC directed the district Collectors to closely monitor the movements of the volunteers and keep their phones in safe custody, as the database of beneficiaries was likely to be leveraged and misused.