Division Bench allows election process to continue

Hyderabad, June 21 (UNI) A specially-constituted Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court today refused to grant an on the spot suspension of the verdict of a single judge quashing the election notification issued by the State Election Commissioner (SEC) on June 10 to conduct local body elections.

The Bench, however, permitted the SEC to publish the final list of the candidates after the withdrawal of nominations scheduled for today.

Earlier, when the appeals filed by the state government against the orders of the Single Judge quashing the election notification was taken-up, Chief Justice G S Singhvi expressed his inability to pass any orders without studying the judgement.

He said in all fairness, the Bench would like to go through the judgement to ascertain whether it was illegal or irrational.

The single judge passed the order on yesterday quashing the SEC notification here today.

The Advocate General requested the court to permit the SEC to publish the final list of candidates after withdrawal of nominations today failing which even if they succeed in the appeal, the election schedule would get disturbed causing enormous expenditure to the exchequer.

The Bench, without expressing any view on the matter, tentatively permitted the SEC to go ahead with the publication of the final list of candidates.

It posted the writ appeals for hearing on the correctness of the single judge order for tomorrow.

UNI XR/JRK GM AK DB2158