MPTC ZPTC Elections 2021: Allow Counting of Votes And Declare Results, AP SEC To High Court

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday has sought the High Court's permission to allow them to complete the counting of votes and declare the MPTC and ZPTC results.

The SEC in its petition stated that after the counting of votes and results declared, they could go ahead with the election of the co-opted members of the MPP, ZPP, Chairpersons, and Vice-Chairpersons, marking the completion of the MPTC and ZPTC election process.

 ''We are making this request with the intention of enabling the new governing bodies to take charge as soon as possible,'' it stated in the petition. This was necessary as the COVID second wave was becoming a challenging affair and the local body authorities needed to focus on it completely, it cited.

As per the orders of the High Court bench, the ballot boxes with the MPTC and ZPTC votes were kept in strong rooms amid tight security after the voting was over on April 8.

After the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 7 struck down the interim stay on the MPTC, ZPTC elections and paved way for the conduct of the polls to be held on April 8 as usual.

The Division Bench, however, ordered that counting of votes and declaration of results, scheduled for April 10, be not taken up until further orders.

It may be recollected that TDP leader Varla Ramaiah and Jana Sena  Party leader Chillapalli Srinivasa Rao had filed petitions in the High Court which had issued a stay proceeding on the conduct of the elections.

The single bench comprising of  Justice Durga Prasad Rao issued stay orders on the conduct of the polls and ordered the SEC to file an affidavit on the 15th of this month.

 However, a division bench had quashed the stay proceedings and gave the permission to go ahead with the conduct of the poll procedure on April 8. The Division Bench, however, ordered that counting of votes and declaration of results, scheduled for April 10, be not taken up till further orders.

Justice Durga Prasad Rao on Thursday heard the cases filed by TDP and Jana Sena leaders in connection with the ZPTC and MPTC election case. However, in the wake of the court's order not to declare the election results, the SEC requested for the declaration of results in its counter. 

Election Commission Secretary K Kannababu filed a counter with a request to dismiss the petitions filed by the  TDP leader as it was with an intention to stop the elections.

The judge directed SEC counsel Sannapureddy Vivek Chandrasekhar to present a copy of the order passed by the bench for its perusal and also directed to attach the lawsuit filed by BJP leaders to these lawsuits.

The case was adjourned to May 19 for further hearings. 

Also Read: ZPTC, MPTC Elections Get Green Signal From AP High Court