State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar is behaving like an Opposition leader, Hindupur MP Gorantla Madhav has alleged.
“By Mr. Ramesh Kumar’s own admission, as the SEC is adopting 2019 electoral rolls for the local body elections, 3.19 lakh people will be deprived of their right to vote,” Mr. Madhav told The Hindu on Saturday.
“Why is Mr. Ramesh Kumar in a hurry to hold the elections now by putting the lives of government employees at risk and by depriving 3.19 lakh voters of their right to exercise their franchise? Why did he not conduct the elections since 2018?” Mr. Madhav questioned.
Likening him to a referee in a football match, Mr. Madhav said the SEC should ensure that not a single voter was deprived of his / her voting right.
“Let all the government employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 and let the transfer of school teachers be completed so that they can take up electoral duties in March or April,” the MP said.
“It is the responsibility of the government to protect the health of the citizens. Hence, it is not in a hurry to conduct the elections. But the opposition parties are behaving in a weird manner,” Mr. Madhav said.
Poll buzz in DPO
Meanwhile, the District Panchayat Office in the city was a beehive of activity with top officials rushing in and checking the voters’ list and short-listing the names of employees to be enlisted for electoral duty in case the nominations for the first phase of elections are held on January 25 (Monday).
As per the notification, elections to the 1,044 gram panchayats will be held in four phases.
In all, 184 gram panchayats of 13 mandals in Penukonda revenue division will go to the polls in the first phase. In the second phase, 169 panchayats of 12 mandals in Kadiri revenue division will go to the polls. In the third phase, voters in 322 panchayats in 19 mandals of Dharmavaram and Kalyandurg revenue divisions will exercise their franchise. In the final phase, people of 19 mandals in 369 panchayats of Anantapur revenue division will cast their vote.
