VISAKHAPATNAM: On a day when the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar announced halting of local body elections for six weeks, the YSRC hit back strongly at the SEC terming the decision an “arbitrary” one taken without consulting the state government.
Leading the attack after the party president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held an explosive press meet, YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy lashed out at the SEC and said the party would move the Supreme Court against the SEC decision of postponing the local body elections.
Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, Vijayasai said the SEC has taken the decision even as there was no panic situation in the State over coronavirus threat.
“Only one positive case was reported in the State and the government has been taking efficient steps to tackle the threat,” he maintained.
"The SEC claimed that he had consulted political parties, but we were not consulted,” he said and accused Ramesh of working at the behest of TDP chief and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu. He also questioned the SEC for taking the decision under Articles 243k and 243ZA, which are usually clamped during natural calamities.
Alleging that Ramesh Kumar postponed elections only with a view to save the sinking ship of TDP in the State, Vijayasai described the SEC action as “irresponsible and diabolic”.
“It was an impulsive, unilateral and coloured decision to help Chandrababu Naidu. The action may delay the victory of the YSRC in the elections, but none can stop it,” he maintained. Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture K Kanna Babu said the SEC took the decision at a time when the YSRC was all set to make a clean sweep of elections.
“The SEC did not consult any State government official including chief secretary and health secretary before taking the decision. Chandrababu similarly influenced the council chairman on decentralisation and CRDA bills,” he said and added that Naidu cannot stop the juggernaut of Jagan in the State.
Minister for Tourism Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said the SEC has taken the decision as per the advice of Naidu. He said the decision was anti-Constitution. The government was making foolproof arrangements to tackle coronavirus threat, he noted.