VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday reserved its orders on the plea filed by the State Election Commission challenging the single-judge verdict for issuing a fresh notification for the conduct of elections to MPTCs and ZPTCs in the State.
Earlier, the bench issued directions to the SEC to issue notification for the conduct of elections from the stage where they were stalled before the outbreak of Covid-19. Presenting arguments on behalf of the SEC, senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy said the single judge bench had given its orders in the petition filed by the Jana Sena Party seeking conduct of the elections afresh while dismissing the petition filed by TDP leader Varla Ramaiah who sought implementation of the model code of conduct four weeks from the day of polling.
Though the JSP petition did not seek enforcement of MCC four weeks prior to the day of polling, the single judge bench in its orders asked for implementation of MCC four weeks and asked the SEC to issue a fresh notification for the conduct of elections from the stage they were stalled before the Covid pandemic.
Counsel V Venugopal Rao, on behalf of the Jana Sena, informed the division bench that they sought implementation of MCC four weeks before the polling day during their arguments. Niranjan Reddy informed the court that the elections were conducted fulfilling the condition of enforcing the MCC four weeks prior to the polling day. He also informed the court only the counting process was left for the completion of the elections. After hearing all the sides, the bench comprising Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice J Umadevi reserved its orders.