SEC overrules AP govt objection,announces schedule for conduct of elections to gram panchayts

Amaravati, Jan 8 (PTI): Overruling the objections raisedby the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, the Andhra Pradesh StateElection Commission on Friday night announced the schedule forconduct of elections to gram panchayats in four phasesbeginning February 5.

State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, withwhom the Jagan regime has been engaged in a battle since Marchlast year, announced the schedule hours after his meeting withChief Secretary Aditya Nath Das and other top officials.

Reacting to this, the government said announcement ofgram panchayat poll schedule was unilateral and amounted toviolation of the Supreme Court orders.

''The SEC has adamantly announced the poll schedulewithout considering the state governments views.

It is a brazen display of arrogance of power,'' PanchayatRaj Principal Secretary G K Dwivedi said in a statement.

The notification for the first phase of gram panchayatelections will be issued on January 23 and polling held onFebruary 5.

For the second phase, the notification will be issued onJanuary 27 and polling on February 9.

The third phase polling is scheduled for February 13, forwhich the notification will be issued on January 31.

The final phase polling will be held on February 17 andthe notification will be issued on the 4th, according to theSECs schedule.

Ramesh Kumar said the model code of conduct would comeinto force from January 9 in accordance with the judgment ofthe Supreme Court.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Secretary, along withPrincipal Secretaries Anil Kumar Singhal (Health) and GopalKrishna Dwivedi (Panchayat Raj), held a meeting with the SECas per the directions of the High Court.

In the meeting, the state officials said they were notready to conduct the elections as the government machinerywould be busily engaged with the administration of coronavirusvaccine.

The government machinery would be engaged for a period ofat least eight months in the vaccination programme and as suchconduct of elections would not be possible, official sourcessaid.

However, the SEC went ahead with the announcement of theschedule.