The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has halted the election process in 100 urban local bodies following directions from the Supreme Court, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha on Wednesday ordered an immediate stop to further proceedings in 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats.
The commission had issued the election notification on October 14. Nominations were filed from October 16 to 18, while the papers were scrutinised on October 19.
“In view of the directions from the Supreme Court, the State Election Commission hereby orders that the further election process in respect of all 100 urban local bodies in the state shall be stopped forthwith,” Punetha said in an official release issued late on Wednesday, according to PTI.
The decision followed a Special Leave Petition filed by the YSRCP in the Supreme Court against an Andhra Pradesh High Court order refusing to extend the nomination deadline, which ended on October 19.
The Supreme Court directed the commission to postpone the publication of the final list of candidates until October 25. It also asked Punetha to consider representations made by the YSRCP and various candidates.
The court directed the commission to examine documentary and electronic evidence before deciding whether to extend the nomination deadline in urban local bodies where candidates may have been unable to file their papers because of the law-and-order situation.
As directed by the Supreme Court, Punetha said the commission would issue an order on October 22 on extending the deadline after receiving reports from district administrations. He said any extension must be for at least 48 hours from the publication of the decision, with the election notification amended accordingly.
The YSRCP filed the petition through Advocate-on-Record Mahfooz A Nazki. The party told the Supreme Court about alleged violent incidents during the nomination process in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa and Tirupati.
It alleged that YSRCP candidates were attacked, threatened and prevented from reaching nomination centres. The party asked the court to direct the authorities to provide adequate police protection and ensure that candidates could file their nominations “without fear”.
The election process in all 100 urban local bodies will, therefore, remain halted while the commission considers the representations, evidence and district reports in line with the Supreme Court’s directions.
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