SEC decision final on Local body elections, can implement schemes: Supreme Court

It is known fact that the Jagan-led AP government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court over the decision of the Election Commission to postpone local elections in AP. A bench headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Bobde has taken up the matter. It has been made clear that orders against the election commission cannot be issued as the coronavirus spread is high. The Supreme Court has said it is Election Commission's decision when to hold elections.

However, the Supreme Court has ordered the Election Commission to lift the code immediately for the implementation of welfare schemes. The Jagan government seems to have been told not to bring new schemes. The court concluded that the existing schemes can only be maintained and instructed the state government to discuss with election commission about the dates of the election.

The state election commission has decided to postpone the election for six weeks in the wake of Coronavirus last Sunday. CM Jagan expressed outrage over the decision of Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh resorting to casteist remarks. At the same time, the chief secretary of the government Nilam Sawhney has also written to the EC to resume the elections. Ramesh in return wrote a 3-page letter explaining the reasons for the postponement of elections.