The YSRC party government, which planned to complete the local body elections quickly in March during the initial days of Coronavirus pandemic, is now reluctant to conduct the elections citing the same reason.
The government submitted an affidavit in the state high court on Friday, stating that it is not possible to conduct the elections to gram panchayats, mandal and zilla parishads and municipalities and corporations in the present circumstances.
The counsel for the government said since the Coronavirus pandemic had gained alarming proportions across the country, it might not be the right time to conduct the elections now.
The high court, however, told the government that the decision to conduct or not to conduct the elections would be decided by the state election commission.
“You should write to the SEC on your inability to make arrangements for the local body elections,” the bench observed.
Obviously, the Jagan government is not interested in completing the process for local body elections under the regime of Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, who resumed the charge as SEC in July, following a Supreme Court direction.
The government was angry with Nimmagadda for deferring the local body elections in March citing Coronavirus pandemic as the reason, without even consulting the state government officials.
Agitated over the unilateral decision of Nimmagadda, the Jagan government removed him through an ordinance seeking reduce his tenure and replacing him with a retired judge of Tamil Nadu high court. However, Nimmagadda fought a long legal battle and won the case.
