Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar ahd released the local body elections schedule very recently, on a weekend, hoping that the government will have no choice but to go forward with his decision. However, the government requested for a stay order at the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and in a major shock to the SEC, the HC agreed to the government’s request.
The HC said that it is not possible to go ahead with the local body elections at a time when the vaccine has been approved, and will very soon be in circulation. The HC also said that the people’s health is more important than the local body elections, which is why it won’t let the local body elections take place at the same time.
The AP government and the SEC have been at war with each other for several months now, with the Jagan government not willing to conduct the elections during Nimmagadda’s tenure as the SEC, and Nimmagadda determined about getting the elections over with, before his tenure comes to an end. With the government now gaining an upper hand at the HC, things are looking rather grim for the SEC, whose tenure will come to an end in March.
On the other hand, Nimagadda has recently suspended SEC Joint Director Sai Prasad, who is currently on a medical leave, saying that Prasad has paved a way for all else, to take a leave when he is trying his best to conduct the local body elections.