Hyderabad: On the one hand, the ruling TRS leaders and cadre are gearing up for the ensuing municipal elections, while on other hand, they are worried that Congress may create legal hurdles to stall the conduct of polls.
It may be noted that TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has moved a petition before the High Court questioning the lapses in the procedure adopted by the state election commission (SEC) in issuing the poll notification.
Earlier, when the state government notified the wards in urban local bodies after delimitation, the Congress party and other individuals had moved the High Court and the court had stayed elections in as many as 75 municipalities. The SEC recently issued the election schedule after the High Court vacated its earlier interim orders.
Once again, the state Congress party, represented by Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, approached the court alleging that the SEC had circumvent the statutory procedure succumbing to pressure from the state government to hold elections bowing down to the whims and fancies of the TRS leadership.
Mr. C. Damodar Reddy, counsel for Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, pointed out that the SEC has issued the notification without earmarking reservations to SCs, STs, BCs and women in respect of 2,727 wards in 120 municipalities and 385 wards in five municipal corporations across the state.
He argued that the SEC’s action was arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional.
Moreover, it had not given sufficient time for people to air their objections against the reservation of wards and offices of the mayor, deputy mayor , chairperson and vice-chairperson.
