Not Conducive To Conduct Elections Amid COVID-19: AP CS To SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh

AMARAVATI: In response to the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar's letter to conduct elections to local bodies (Gram Panchayat polls), the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney responded that this was not the opportune time to hold elections considering the COVID-19 situation in the State.

In a letter to the SEC she said that, "It is not right to hold the elections in February in view of the health and safety of the people of the state,'' Nilam Sawhney opined. She urged the SEC to reconsider its decision on the conduct of the election.

The CS said that the State administrative staff and employees of various departments were busy with COVID- 19 duties and working towards containing the situation.She mentioned that it was not necessary to conduct a video conference with the District Collectors at this juncture. The CS mentioned that there was a rise in coronavirus positive cases in the State and that it had spread to the rural areas as well. She said that at this point in time it was not advisable to conduct elections keeping in mind the health and welfare of the public.

She also added that each state was following different strategies to combat the COVID-19 cases and it was not correct to compare one state with another, she said in the letter.

She reminded that more than 6,890 people had already died of Coronavirus in the State and the Centre had said that the COVID severity would be high in the coming days as it was winter season. The Government would inform the SEC about its preparedness and readiness in resuming the elections as and when the situation becomes conducive for conduct of elections.

The SEC on Tuesday decided to conduct elections to the Gram Panchayats in February 2021, asserting that there were no legal impediments for the process.

The SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar also asked the Chief Secretary to keep the process of reorganisation of districts on hold until the completion of the elections to local bodies in a letter to the Chief Secretary.

However, the SEC did not make any mention about the impending elections to mandal and zilla parishads, the other two tiers of the Panchayat Raj system, and the urban local bodies.