SEC did not consider local conditions before postponing polls

Amaravati: Minister for Education Audimulapu Suresh said that the SEC decision to postpone elections to local bodies was arbitrary as it was taken without considering ground situation. 

Speaking to reporters at the Party Central Office here on Tuesday, he said, SEC seems to be favouring TDP as it was the Opposition which was demanding for postponement after it was clear that it is going to face a humiliating defeat. 

Previously no SEC has invoked Article 324 to postpone elections for such a long period with an open-ended statement. The Article was first used in West Bengal by advancing the campaigning by one daydue to law and order problems. Later, it was used in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore after the blatant distribution of money came to the fore. 

Minister flayed Ramesh Kumar for exercising the plenary powers to postpone the elections for six weeks or till the threat of coronavirus is arrested or declined. If that is the case, as of now there is no cure for coronavirus but all the preventive measures are being strictly implemented across the state. The education department has issued strict guidelines to the field employees in the department but Ramesh Kumar might not be aware of such things, he said. 

It was Naidu who is behind Ramesh Kumar to postpone the elections as he was frustrated by the unanimous victory of YSRCP candidates in various places across the state. But YSRCP would win the election whenever it is conducted, the Minister said.

The people were disappointed with the postponement of elections. The coronavirus is a small reason used by the SEC to postpone elections or else the election could have been completed in a week, he added.