HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the turmeric farmers who were contesting as independent candidates from Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, to furnish by Monday the copies of nomination papers filed showing their choice of symbols conveyed to the election commission.
“We want evidence that you (petitioner farmers) did convey your choices. Furnish us a copy of your nomination papers”, the bench told the petitioners.The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice T Amarnath Goud was passing the order in the petition filed in the form of lunch motion by S Ravi and 15 other turmeric farmers contesting as independent candidates from Nizamabad segment. The petitioners sought the court to declare the action of the Election Commission in not allotting symbols and not issuing specimen symbols to them as mandated under Rule 10(6) of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 as illegal.
Petitioners’ counsel B Rachna Reddy urged the court to issue directions to the ECI to postpone the election to Nizamabad LS segment, scheduled to take place on April 11 and to conduct them during the second phase of general election. The bench while saying that every candidate would keep copy of his nomination papers, directed the petitioners to submit the same before it and posted the matter to Monday for further hearing.