As expected, the nomination process for gram panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to begin at 10.30 am on Monday, could not take place with the district collectors and district panchayat officers refusing to start the process pending instructions from the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
In almost all the districts, there were reports that no arrangements were made to receive nominations and though some interested candidates came forward to file their nominations for ward members in several villages, there was none to give the nomination forms and receive them.
At several places, the offices of district panchayat officers remained locked. Reporting reaching the SEC office received information that the administrators did not commence the process for phase-1 elections, stating that they were awaiting instructions from the government.
Nimmagadda said it was evident that the election process has been vitiated as the district administration has not made arrangements for receiving nominations for the phase-I gram panchayat elections.
Now that the Supreme Court gave a favourable order to the SEC, Nimmagadda announce reschedule of the phase-I of the gram panchayat elections. They will now become phase-IV elections, to be held on January 21, nominations for which would begin from January 10.
“As a result, the Phase-II, Phase-III and Phase-IV Gram Panchayat elections will now be rescheduled as Phase-I, Phase-II and Phase-III respectively,” Nimmagadda said.
