There is a conflict between the AP government and State Election Commission on the conduct of Panchayat elections and this has been a topic of discussion in the state. The SEC wants to take up elections but the government says that both elections and vaccinations cannot go simultaneously. The issue reached the High Court and the single bench ordered in favour of the SEC. The government approached the divisional bench, which has also said that the SEC can take up elections. The employee’s associations have also said that they cannot participate in the election duties now. The government appealed this in Supreme Court and it is slated to come for hearing today. People in the two Telugu states are eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court’s ruling today.
While the local body election has generated interest in the AP, the Gujarat SEC has released the schedule for the elections on Saturday. The elections would be held on February 21, 28 in Gujarat. In AP as per the schedule, elections would be held in four phases from February 2 and the counting would take place on the same day.
The Gujarat SEC said that elections were taken up in two phases because of Covid. Elections would be held for six Corporations, 81 municipalities, 31 Zilla Parishads, 231 Panchayats. About 4.2 Crore people would utilize their franchise and EVMs would be used in the elections. Use of EVMs would depend on the number of nominations.
There are different opinions on the conduct of local body elections but the EC released the schedule. Few have brought forward the observation of the Supreme Court on a case filed before the Bihar Assembly elections. One individual Avinash Thakur had filed a case stating that there was pandemic and having elections that time would be risking the lives of the people. The Supreme Court decided against taking the case. The Apex court said that the EC takes a decision only after considering all issues. The SC said that they cannot stop the EC from conducting elections. During December last year, there were elections for local bodies in Karnataka and 2.9 lakh voters utilised their right. EVMs were used only in Bidar and at other places ballot papers were used.
There is a debate on the elections as the AP government was giving reasons of Covid at a time when there were elections in Karnataka and schedule released in Gujarat.