CPI leader to AP govt: Talk to SEC for local body polls

The Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary K Narayana on Friday suggested the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP)-led Andhra Pradesh government to follow the advice of the High Court and initiate a conducive dialogue with State Election Commission (SEC) for conducting local body elections.

The senior CPI leader said the Andhra Pradesh government's locking horn with the SEC on the issue of the local body elections is wrong. He finds the reason for the COVID-19 as cited by the state government to put the local body elections on hold injudicious.

Narayana said, "Elections were conducted for Bihar Assembly. Local body elections were conducted in Kerala and Kashmir. GHMC elections were conducted in Telangana. So it is not impossible to conduct local body elections in Andhra Pradesh."

"The SEC's decision of postponing local body elections in the past was correct as the COVID-19 outbreak was severe. But the chief minister responded in an unconstitutional way stating he had not been consulted on the decision. It made the situation complex," added Narayana.

He reiterated that the government representatives should initiate discussions with State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar in a conducive atmosphere. "the State Election Commission is an autonomous body. Cooperating with the SEC is the government's responsibility. So both the parties should amicably resolve the matter and conduct elections in order to facilitate the development of the state," emphasised Narayana.

On March 15, Election Commissioner Kumar had announced the postponement of the local body elections for six weeks, or till the threat of the COVID-19 recedes, whichever is earlier. That period of six weeks got over on April 26. The commission reviewed the matter again and announced that the elections shall remain postponed until further orders.

Following the March 15 order, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy slammed State Election Commissioner Kumar for postponing the local body elections for six weeks and indirectly criticised that it appears the SEC was acting at the behest of Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

( With inputs from ANI )