SEC has "jammers", says V R Reddy

Hyderabad, July 1 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner A V S Reddy today maintained that no party could remote control his functioning.

''I have jammers. I cannot be controlled by any party,'' he told reporters on the eve of the second phase of elections to Panchayatraj Bodies. ''Like Arjuna, I will only concentrate on my target of conducting free poll despite distractions,'' he added.

While deciding to hold repoll in 57 polling stations in the first phase, the Commission had made a thorough examination of the situation, he said, adding he could not be accused of being remote-controlled by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy who had indicated that repoll was possible only in 24 polling stations.

''I am unconcerned about remarks by political parties or learned judges. I don't want to get into controversies with political parties and least with the judiciary,'' he said when asked about reported remarks of a Single Judge of the High Court on the SEC's functioning.

''At the height of elections, political parties do drag the office of SEC and even the Election Commission of India into partisan politics. Once the elections are over, they will automatically subside,'' he opined.

''The SEC is fair to all parties,'' he said, citing a complaint from TDP Legislature Party Deputy Leader N Janardhan Reddy based on which he had directed the Mahboobnagar District Collector to seize vehicles being plied in violation of poll code in Tadurur by the ruling party.

On the judge's view that a wider consultation was required when the SEC was appointed, he said ''it is a matter of academic discussion. It will be appropriate to discuss it in a seminar''.

UNI SM GM SHR DB1858