SEC supports centre for postponement of local polls

N. Ramesh Kumar, AP State Election Commissioner (SEC), on Tuesday suggested to the state government to obtain a clearance from the National Task Force on coronavirus to hold polls to local bodies immediately. Replying to Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney’s request to the SEC to reconsider the decision to defer polls, the SEC in a three-page letter, made it clear that it would restart the election process, which is assessed to be a high human contact scenario, only “after being assured or advised” by the NTF.

Making things on this front complicated for CM Reddy, who was keen on completing the poll process before March 31 to avoid lapse of the 14th finance commission funds due to the state to the tune of over `3,000 crore, the Centre officially announced that the country had entered the second stage of Covid-19.

The centre has warned people against mass gatherings and advised strict adherence to moderate distancing (among people). The SEC described the postponement of polls as implementing the central advisory protocol on “moderate distancing”.

Mr Kumar got a shot in the arm with SEC of West Bengal, Maharashtra and Odisha deferring polls in their respective states, a day after his move to do the same. “Had the decision to postpone polls be announced along with other states, things would have been different, the SEC said in the letter, adding that the commission was being “needlessly faulted” for acting a day ahead.

In this backdrop, the Supreme Court will take up the AP government’s plea challenging the SEC decision on Wednesday. A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde will take up the case.

Mr Ramesh Kumar offered to work closely with the state government in the task of obtaining 14th Finance Commission funds. “The SEC is prepared to support your efforts to access funds through any requisite documentation from our end,” he said, adding that since AP was not alone in the present situation, states in similar situation can make a common pleading.

Defending his decision to release his letter to the media, the SEC said that the gist of the CS’ correspondence to him had already been appearing in press.

In the ongoing saga of confrontation between the AP State Election Commission and the state government, a series of encores are creating a sense of political déja vu. Exactly eleven months ago, when the AP assembly elections were underway, the Election Commission of India (ECI) transferred the-then chief secretary A.K. Puneetha, besides several officers including the intelligence chief, leading to the-then chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu attacking the ECI.

Now, watchers of the SEC, which has already transferred several bureaucrats, senior police officers besides postponing the local body polls, sense a foreboding that it may also transfer the Chief Secretary if its orders are not implemented. And Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has already launched a scathing personal attack on the integrity of the election body chief, insinuating that he took a decision to favour the opposition Telugu Desam party,