Andhra poll panel to decide today on extending ULB nomination deadline

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission is set to decide on extending the nomination filing deadline for Urban Local Body elections in areas where candidates allegedly could not file nominations due to law and order issues, following directions from the Supreme Court.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) will decide on Thursday to extend the last date of filing nominations in Urban Local Bodies, wherever it is of the view that candidates were unable to file their nominations due to the law and order situation.

The Commission temporarily paused the process for Urban Local Body elections following the direction of the Supreme Court to postpone the final list of candidates till October 25.

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State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said the Commission will issue an order on Thursday after obtaining reports from the Collectors and District Election Authorities and the Commissioners of Police / Superintendents of Police.

The State Election Commission (SEC) issued notifications on October 14 for the conduct of elections to 13 Municipal Corporations and 87 Municipalities / Nagar Panchayats in the state. As per the election schedule, the nomination process was conducted from October 16 to October 18, and the scrutiny of nominations by the concerned Returning Officers / Election Officers was on October 19. The last date for withdrawal of nominations was October 21.

However, on a petition by the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that the SEC postpone the publication of the final list of candidates till October 25 and in the meantime, the SEC shall consider the representations made by petitioner party and/or various candidates, including evidentiary material as well as electronic evidence placed before it and take a decision to extend the last date of filing nominations in Urban Local Bodies wherever it is of the view that candidates were unable to file their nominations due to law and order situation.

The Supreme Court directed that the decision shall be taken by the Commission positively by October 22, and wherever the Commission chooses to extend the time, such time shall be extended not less than 48 hours from the time of publishing the decision by amending the Election notification.

A division bench of the Supreme Court also directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure adequate security at nomination centres, including police deployment and CCTV coverage, and file a compliance report.

The Supreme Court further asked the respective Superintendents of Police to provide protection to YSRCP candidates and directed that nomination papers be received by Collectors at district headquarters wherever necessary.

Observing that free and fair elections are part of the basic structure of the Constitution, the apex court said the right to participate in elections by filing nominations is an integral facet of the electoral process.

The matter will be heard again on October 27, when the state poll panel and the state government are required to submit compliance affidavits.

The directions came on a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the YSRCP challenging an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which refused to extend the deadline for filing nominations amid allegations of violence and obstruction during the local body election process.

The party had alleged that its candidates were prevented from filing nomination papers in several areas, including Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa and Tirupati, after the nomination process opened on October 16.

According to the petition, the nomination papers of a candidate in Kadapa were allegedly seized and torn, while several candidates in Tirupati were prevented from entering the rooms of the concerned Returning Officers.

It also alleged that party workers and MP P.V. Midhun Reddy were attacked while travelling to file nomination papers.