SEC to go ahead with Municipal elections despite night curfew

Hyderabad: The State Election Commission (SEC) today said that it would hold upcoming municipal elections in two corporations and five municipalities notwithstanding the night curfew. It asked political parties to carry out their election campaign while following COVID-19 norms and added that only five people should take part in the election campaign.

It said that the election campaign should conclude before 6 p.m. every day an also imposed a ban on the organisation of public meetings and road shows in the poll bound urban local bodies. The commission issued these orders following the representation of the various political parties urging it to postpone the elections. The commission sought the response of the state government on the issue and wrote a letter to the chief secretary of the state.

Responding to the letter, the CS urged the commission to hold the elections in a usual manner without opting for their postponement.

The congress party has even approached the high court of the state on the issue and urged the court to postpone the elections by citing several obstacles for their election campaign due to the spread of the virus and restrictions imposed by the state government to hold public meetings and road shows. Responding to the petition, the HC refused to entertain the petition and asked the congress party leaders to approach the SEC on the issue