Municipal elections any time after July 14: State Election Commissioner Nagi Reddy

Hyderabad: State Election Commissioner V Nagi Reddy on Monday said that the Commission was ready to take up elections to the municipalities in the State any time after July 14.

The SEC held a meeting with all political parties in the State for taking their suggestions on conducting municipal elections in the State. The SEC said that the Commission would finalise the reservations for wards on July 14.

The draft voter list would be ready by July 10 and appeals would be accepted till July 12. The schedule would be announced 15 days prior to the notification.

The final voter list would be published on July 14. The voter list of Assembly elections would be considered before finalising the final voter list.

The Commission has already communicated to the Collectors and the Chief Electoral Officer in this regard, said Nagi Reddy and supplementary list would also be released on July 14.

The SEC said that the elections to municipalities would be taken up with ballot paper. The polling stations would be decided after arriving at the number of voters in each municipal ward.

There may be around 800 voters in each polling station and there would be same number of polling stations which were used during the Assembly elections. The SEC said that there would be meeting with the officials on July 11 and with Municipal Commissioners on July 13.

The recognised parties would be given their registered symbols and for others there are rules to be followed for allotting common symbols, said the SEC.

The opposition parties questioned the Commission over the 'hasty' decision by the SEC to conduct elections and alleged that the Commission was under pressure from the government.

Congress leader M Sashidhar Reddy said that they have sought time after finalisation of delimitation and reservations.

Earlier there used to be six months after delimitation of wards and we wanted the SEC to continue the same tradition, said Reddy.

Congress leader G Niranjan said that the government sought 119 days for taking up elections. "The Commission should not become a puppet in the hands of the government. Why the time is reduced.

The elections should be taken up in a transparent manner," he said.

TDP leader Ravula Chandrashekar Reddy alleged that the Commission lost its independence by bowing down to pressure from the government.

How people can raise objections on the voter list in a very short time, he asked. He said that his party had opposed the government's decision to bring ordinance.

BJP leader S Malla Reddy alleged that the government was making mockery of democratic process. "The government first sought 119 day's time and now limited the process to 14 days, which is not correct. Without having voter list, wards delimitation will not be proper. Elections should be taken up as per the affidavit submitted in court," said Malla Reddy.

CPI leader P Venkata Reddy objected to raising the expenditure limit to Rs 2 lakh. CPI-M K Narasimha Reddy alleged that the wards were divided unscientifically.

TRS G Ramachandra Rao said that the party had welcomed the elections. He found fault with other parties for questioning the SEC on taking up elections. He also demanded the SEC not to increase the expenditure limit and wanted the Commission to monitor the money spent.