Andhra Pradesh government moves High Court against SEC’s local polls decision

Source:-https://www.newindianexpress.com

VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Tuesday filed a petition in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh challenging the State Election Commission’s (SEC) decision to conduct local elections in February 2021.

In the petition, Panchayat Raj department principal secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi stated that it was a unilateral decision. He urged the High Court to direct the SEC not to conduct elections in February.

Dwivedi said the SEC took the decision without proper consultations and also not taking the prevailing Covid1-9 pandemic into consideration. He said the Supreme Court has also asked the States to take precautionary measures in view of the likelihood of Covid-19 second wave.

He urged the court to cancel the orders issued by the SEC for conduct of the local elections, stating that public health is the priority of the government.

As the government machinery is engaged in containing the spread of Covid-19, the SEC was requested to reconsider its decision, but there was no response, he said in the petition.