Jagan slams SEC for deferring polls

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan on Sunday called the decision of the State Election Commission (SEC) to postpone the elections to local bodies as “unjustifiable”, and tried to puncture holes in the explanation given as the ongoing health epidemic of coronavirus (Covid-19), saying the disease was in initial stages in the state and wouldn’t create hurdles to the conduct of elections.

Casting aspersions on the neutrality of the State Election Commissioner and hinting that he was biased towards the Telugu Desam party owing to caste considerations, Mr Reddy alleged, “the-then CM Chandrababu Naidu appointed Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as SEC because both of them belong to the same social group, and now, Ramesh Kumar is showing bias in conducting elections.”

The decision to postpone the local body elections angered the YSR Congress so much that it forced the Chief Minister to conduct his first press conference nine months after assuming power.

Mr Reddy lamented that Mr Kumar’s statement

The-then CM Chandrababu Naidu appointed Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as SEC because both of them belong to the same social group, and now, Ramesh Kumar is showing bias in conducting elections.

— Y.S. JAGAN MOHAN

REDDY, AP Chief Minister

has hurt him as the SEC took the decision without consulting any senior officials about coronavirus.

Mr Reddy also objected to the SEC decision to stop his government from distributing house sites, besides the SEC orders on transfer of collectors, SPs and other officials, saying there was no need to take those action when elections were postponed.

“We are ready to accept these orders only if elections would be completed according to the present schedule,” Mr Reddy said.

“The Covid-19 threat in coming days would be due to arrival of our people from various foreign countries, as several countries would start deportation, unwilling to bear expenses of treatment of foreigners,” he said.

“The situation would not change in next two to three weeks. Exams would be conducted keeping more distance between students sharing benches.”

“If elections has been completed, there would be a chance to take measures at the local level by elected representatives after identifying victims and offering proper treatment. Presently, the Covid-19 is in the initial stage hence there was no big threat in conducting elections,” he said.

“People of age of above 60 years would be first affected by

Covid-19, especially those already suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, liver, kidney and asthma diseases,” he said, adding, “out of the

85,000 people affected by Covid19 in China, over 65,000 were cured, while 3,000 had died. There is no need to press the panic button.”

Mr Reddy, reeling out numbers, said, “over 80.9 per cent of Covid-19 victims recovered under home isolation in China, while 13.8 per cent were hospitalised and only 4.7 per cent were admitted to the ICU, which clearly shows that there is no need to panic.”

Giving an overview of the state, the Chief Minister said,

“70 samples were collected, of which only one case was tested positive in Nellore. That patient is recovering well. The state started laboratories Tirupati and Vijayawada and another laboratory would be started soon in Kakinada.”

He assured that the government has taken all necessary measures to curb the epidemic.