HYDERABAD: In a relief to the Election Commission of India, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday declined to postpone the election to Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency as prayed by the turmeric farmers, who were contesting as independent candidates in the poll scheduled on April 11. The bench reminded the Supreme Court judgment in Ponnuswami case wherein it held that once the process of election begins no court should interfere with such process.
As for the farmers’ plea to declare the action of the EC in not allotting symbols and not issuing specimen symbols to them as mandated under Rule 10 (4) and Rule 10 (6) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 as illegal, the bench impleaded the Union of India in the case and issued notices to it on the issue.
As for the petitioners’ allegations of ‘malafide’ against the EC, the bench suggested them to file an election petition on their grievance. The bench was passing the order in a petition filed by S Ravi and 15 other turmeric farmers seeking directions to the ECI to postpone election to Nizamabad LS segment and to conduct the same during the second phase, on April 18.