NE NEWS SERVICE
AMARAVATI, MARCH 15
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has lodged a complaint to the Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan that the decision on postponing the local body election by the State Election Commissioner was his unilateral and not by the government here on Sunday.
Addressing the media after apprising the Governor of the dichotomy of SEC, the Chief Minister said that State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar has issued a notification postponing the elections, citing coronavirus as the reason, on one hand and transferring officials on the other hand besides taking such an important decision without consulting either the Chief Secretary or the Health Secretary.
The notification, issued in utter secrecy and without any consultation with concerned and competent officials, is contradictory in nature as elections were postponed and in the same breath High Officials from Guntur and Chittoor districts were transferred and Collectors were asked not to take up the house site patta distribution work. It seems that SEC is working at the behest of others and is reading out the script prepared by others.
Ever since YSRCP has won considerable seats unanimously,TDP along with its friendly media, has been conspiring to stall polls to save its face and also to deprive the State of the Central funds to a tune of Rs 5,000 crores which we have to forfeit if polls are not held before March 31.
For the 9600 posts 50,000 nominations were filed and 2000 YSRCP candidates were unanimously elected for MPTCs.
The opposition party was making an issue out of this unmindful of the fact that during 2013 elections, TDP has won 269 MPTCs unanimously.
Former Chief Minister N. Chandra Babu Naidu has conspired to postpone the polls with the fear of defeat and spreading rumours.
We have lodged a formal complaint to the Governor and will also explore other options as we are the elected government with a majority of 151 seats in the 175 member house and if the elections are postponed and officials are being transferred what the elected representatives should do, he asked.
As far as coronavirus is concerned worldwide 80.9 % cases were cured by house isolation and in Andhra Pradesh out of the 70 samples taken, only one case was tested positive and the State has taken effective steps and screened people and treated them with care.
In the coming days there will be more cases as deportations from other countries will take place and we are braced up to meet any eventuality. Life cannot come to a halt and we have to move forward.
Postponing election will not be the answer, as we have to live with tackling the coronavirus cases for at least one more year. In ten days the elections would be over and measures to handle will continue including prevention of public gatherings.
The State has taken effective steps for screening and setting of quarantine facilities at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. Isolation rooms will be set up at six places.
This is a continuous process and State Election Commission trying to take over the administration by postponing the elections is unfair and unjust, the Chief Minister said.
