AP High Court Seeks Affidavit on Local Body Elections

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the State Government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to submit detailed affidavits outlining the roadmap for conducting local body and gram panchayat elections. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan issued the order on Thursday and adjourned the matter to October 6. The court was hearing separate Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking timely conduct of local elections and the implementation of BC reservation based on the ongoing caste survey.

During the hearing, counsel for the SEC informed the court that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls is currently in progress and that the election process can begin only after the revised voter lists are finalized. Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas, appearing for the State Government, stated that the socio-economic survey has been completed and that the one-member commission headed by Rajeev Ranjan Mishra is expected to submit its report soon. The government said BC reservations would be finalized based on the commission's recommendations before conducting the elections and assured the court that a comprehensive affidavit would be filed.