Amaravati: Cases, other factors may delay local polls

Amaravati: The proposed elections to the local bodies including panchayats and municipalities in the State may get delayed due to various reasons including a pending case in High Court pertaining to reservations.

As the government is planning to conduct the Budget Session of the State Assembly next month, it will be difficult to hold the elections, observed a senior IAS officer at the Secretariat.

If the election code comes into effect, then the government is not allowed to take any policy decision. In the Budget session, the government has to take several policy decisions.

The Budget itself is a major policy tool to implement welfare schemes and attract the voters.

In fact, the government expected that the High Court may pronounce judgement on local body polls by February 25.

With regard to following procedures during the conduct of elections, the State government promulgated an Ordinance by amending certain sections in the Panchayat Raj Act.

While discussing the Ordinance during the last Cabinet meeting which was presided over by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the government planned to conduct elections in a short period once the High Court gave its judgement on reservations.

On the other hand, the YSRCP leaders expressed confidence on winning the local body polls with a great majority.

Speaking at Meet the Press programme recently, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Advisor to Government (Public Affairs), said that Chief Minister Jagan was supremely confident that people would cast their votes in favour of the YSRCP which has implemented 90 per cent of its promises within nine months of coming to power. Ramakrishna Reddy said Jagan was not a type of person who would say something and implement another thing. The YSRCP chief has been implementing all the promises he made to the people during his State-wide Padayatra, Ramakrishna Reddy pointed out.

He said the Chief Minister was also keen on ensuring free and fair elections to the local bodies.