HYDERABAD: Cautioning the petitioners not to undermine the intelligence of voters, the AP High Court adjourned the hearing of pleas to April 1. The court was hearing petitions seeking that the results of elections to municipalities and municipal corporations not be declared until voting in the general election is completed.
A division bench of Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was hearing two PILs by Bukya Saida and three others, and V. Venkateswara Rao, contending that announcing the results of civic bodies will affect free and fair elections for the Lok Sabha and AP State Legislative Assembly elections that follow.
The petitioners placed before the court the Supreme Court’s order granting liberty to the AP State Election Commission to announce results of elections to mandal praja parishad constituencies and zilla parishad constituencies after May 7.
After perusing the order, the Chief Justice pointed out that the order was apparently for administrative convenience of the state election commission, and there was not even a whisper suggesting that declaration of results would have an effect on voters.
Justice Sengupta said the petitions before him are based on the assumption that the electorate is unintelligent and will be influenced by the results of the local bodies’ elections.
He cautioned the petitioners not to undermine the intelligence of voters, and said it is the aspirations of the middle class and poorer sections of society and the performance of political parties that influence voters when they cast their vote. The state government’s counsel said there was no ambiguity in the order as the apex court has said that the commission can declare the results on any date after May 7.
