VIJAYAWADA: A day after announcing the schedule for elections to Gram Panchayats in the State, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was applicable only to rural areas, not urban regions. He said the MCC would be in force from January 9 to February 17.
In a letter addressed to Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das on Saturday, Ramesh Kumar clarified that there was no objection to organise programmes in urban areas to extend benefits to the beneficiaries. But the beneficiaries should strictly belong to the urban areas.
“Programmes shall not be organised in the urban areas to extend benefits to the beneficiaries belonging to rural areas. This will amount to clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct as such acts influence voter preferences. I request you to kindly bring the above clarification to the notice of all ministers, secretaries to government, heads of departments for strict enforcement of the MCC with particular reference to programmes organised in urban areas of the State,’’ the SEC mentioned in the letter.
The copies of the letter were also sent to the Director General of Police, Principal Secretary (PR & RD Department), Commissioner of Panchayat Raj & Election Authority, Collectors & District Election Authorities, Superintendents of Police/Commissioners of Police, Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Praja Parishads and District Panchayat Officers.
APPOA expresses displeasure
The Andhra Pradesh Police Officers Association has condemned the decision of the SEC to hold local polls in February. Association president Janakula Srinivasa Rao said 14,000 police personnel were infected with the virus and 109 succumbed to it. “We sincerely request the SEC to postpone the polls,” he said.