VIJAYAWADA: The High Court of Andhra Pradesh on Friday refused to intervene in the election process for 12 municipal corporations and 75 municipalities, which resumed on February 15. Hearing a batch of petitions filed challenging the State Election Commission’s decision to continue the election process from where it was stopped midway in March last year due to Covid-19, Justice DVSS Somayajulu said issuing an interim order at this juncture will be nothing but intervening in the election process and the court will not do it.
Citing the Supreme Court ruling in the Kishan Singh Tomar case, Justice Somayajulu said once the election process commences, there is no scope for any intervention by the court. Arguments over the petitions filed by C Vishnuvardhan Reddy and seven others from Tadipatri in Anantapur district and N Yashoda and others from Jammalamadugu in Kadapa, concluded last week and the High Court judgement was reserved.
In his order, the Judge stated that the SEC had postponed the election schedule midway last year taking the Covid pandemic into consideration. On February 15 this year, the SEC notified that the election process for the ULBs will continue from where it was stalled.
“If the court supports petitioners’ demand for a fresh notification, it will be nothing short of intervening in the election process. Once election notification is issued, only the SEC has rights with regard to conduct of polls and declaration of results,” the Judge observed.