AP High Court clears air on municipal elections, dismisses 16 petitions filed against the schedule

The ambiguity over the conduct of municipal elections in Andhra Pradesh has come to end with the High Court giving the green signal for the conduct of municipal elections. The High Court, which was hearing 16 petitions seeking quashing of the notification issued by the SEC and reissue new schedule has stuck down all the petitions and made it clear that it could not interfere as the election process had already begun.

According to the notification given by the Election Commission, the elections will be held on March 10. The court said the stay could not be granted as the government was also ready to conduct the elections. The election process will continue as usual with the High Court orders. Withdrawal of nominations by March 2, Election Commission to consider on March 3. The final list will be announced after 3 pm on March 3.

Elections will be held on March 10 from 8 am in 12 municipal corporations and 75 municipalities across the state in a single phase. Repolling will be held on March 13 wherever necessary. The results will be announced on the same day after counting on March 14. Meanwhile, all the parties in the state are busy campaigning and candidates are in the process of appeasing voters as nominations have already been filed.

SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar is preparing for district tours as the line has been cleared for the conduct of elections. The SEC will visit the districts for three days from Saturday and meet the Collectors and SPs. The SEC will meet officials of Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore districts and recognised political parties at the Tirupati SV University Senate Hall on February 27. He will also hold a meeting with officials and political parties from Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts at his office in Vijayawada on the 28th of this month. On March 1, officials from Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts will meet the parties to discuss the conduct of the elections.