HC orders polls in 8 villages

By Our Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 28. A Division Bench of the A.P. High Court, comprising Chief Justice Mr. Satyabrata Sinha and Mr. Justice V.V.S. Rao, on Thursday directed authorities to conduct elections in eight villages in Warangal district.

The Bench set aside the orders of the State Election Commission to defer elections as there was a proposal to merge these villages into Warangal Municipal Corporation. These orders were passed in a writ petition filed by Mr. Basava Reddy challenging the SEC's action.

The Government had issued a notification proposing to merge the eight villages falling in the mandals of Hasanparty, Hanumakonda, and Geesukonda. Then, the SEC issued a notification to conduct elections. But on June 24, it issued another notification declaring that elections in these villages would not be conducted. The petitioner complained that the elections once announced could not be cancelled. The Bench felt a proposal to merge the villages could not be a ground to cancel the elections.

5 writ pleas dismissed

Mr. Justice B. Sudershan Reddy of the High Court on Thursday dismissed five writ petitions filed seeking a direction to the authorities to include their names in the electoral roles of their villages so that they could contest the local bodies elections.

When the petitioners complained that they were being denied the basic right to participate in the electoral process, Mr. Justice Reddy expressed surprise that the petitioners did not approach the electoral officers of the respective Legislative Assemblies who are competent to order inclusion and exclusion of names from the voters' list.

The judge made it clear that when no application was made as per the provisions of law the petitioners could not claim any relief. He also reminded that as per the rules the electoral rolls could not be `interfered' with after the notification was issued.

Directive to authorities

Meanwhile, the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Rao directed the authorities not to reject the nomination papers of one Mr. P. Krishna Raja Rao of West Godavari district just because he is having subsisting contract with the Railways.

The petitioner contended that there was no bar to contest for the Legislative Assembly though he is a contractor for the Central Government and wondered how such prohibition could be introduced for elections to the local bodies. The Bench admitted the writ petition and directed that his election papers be not rejected on this ground.

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Section  : Southern States
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