HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the ECI, the Centre, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments to respond to the PIL filed seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India to issue any notification under the Representation of People’s Act, 1950 for conducting elections to the Telangana state legislative assembly only after completion of delimitation process relating to seven mandals in Khammam district which were transferred to the successor state of AP during bifurcation of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh state, by suitable amendment.
The bench was dealing with a PIL moved through lunch motion by Telangana Congress leader Marri Shasidhar Reddy with a plea to declare the action of the ECI in proceeding to conduct elections to the state assembly this year or any future date without delimiting the assembly and Parliamentary constituencies connected to the subject seven mandals by a suitable amendment to the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order 2008, as illegal.
Petitioner’s counsel pointed out that the ECI was proceeding with the election process in utter violation of the RP Act and the Delimitation Act. In the said seven mandals wherein about 2.11 lakh voters were present, involves three assembly and two parliamentary seats. Taking these submissions into consideration, the bench issued notices to the respondents to respond on the issue and adjourned the case hearing to September 25.