The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Lok Satta opposes postponement of civic polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 28, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Lok Satta opposes postponement of civic polls

By Our Correspondent

KAKINADA, FEB. 27. Lok Satta was opposed to the postponement of municipal elections and if necessary would seek recourse to law if the Government did not change its view, Bandaru Ramamohana Rao, State coordination committee member of Lok Satta, and Aluri Vijayalakshmi, district president, said on Sunday.

At a press conference here, they said though the 73rd and 74th amendments to Constitution specify that elections to panchayats, municipalities and corporations should be held simultaneously once in five years, it was followed more in breach by all the State Governments. Stating that the State Government was toying with the idea of introducing indirect elections for chairpersons, mayors, ward councillors and corporators, they sought direct elections to all the posts including that of the Chief Minister.

They wanted due representation to the municipalities and corporations in the Zilla Parishads so that there would be a local self-government at the district-level representing both the rural and urban areas.

The Lok Satta Krishna zone coordinator, P. Chandramouli, the district secretary, E. R. Subrahmanyam, the town president, Munuganti Sriramamurthy, and the secretary, Paramahamsa, were present.

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