State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar who elicited views of political parties on the conduct of local body polls in the State on Wednesday said the commission wants to maintain a close and regular interface with the Health Department to keep a track of the COVID-19 scenario.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar had postponed the local body elections in March this year in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, which snowballed into a controversy. The YSRCP government removed him from the post of SEC through an ordinance. However, Mr. Ramesh Kumar was subsequently reinstated after a bitter legal battle that went to the Supreme Court.
In the Wednesday’s meeting, Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that invitations were sent to 19 political parties, of which 11 sent their representatives to the meeting while two parties conveyed their views in writing. Six parties neither deputed their leaders nor let their opinions known. The invitees includes six recognised national parties, three recognised State parties in Andhra Pradesh, nine recognised parties in other States registered with the SEC and one recognised party with reserved symbol.
Deliberations were held with Principal Secretary (health, medical and family welfare) A.K. Singhal and Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar on October 27, he said.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that the SEC attached sanctity to the process of consultations as per the practices of the Election Commission of India.
“The SEC is a constitutional body and casting aspersions on it is best avoided as per the best democratic traditions. The commission wishes to honour and respect the consensus arising out of the process,” Mr. Ramesh Kumar asserted.