Panchayat elections in AP in June, NOTA to debut

Hyderabad: While making preparations to conduct the Panchayat elections around June, AP State Election Commission has decided to introduce NOTA (None of the above) system in the local body elections. As per the directive of the Supreme Court, the Central Election Commission has introduced NOTA system in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections for voters to reject all candidates contesting the elections. AP Election Commission has now also decided to introduce this system in local bodies. 

AP Election Commission has written to AP government to take steps to introduce NOTA system in local body elections. AP State Election Commissioner Mr N. Ramesh Kumar said that they have written to AP government to introduce NOTA system in the local body elections. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he said the state government has to amend the Municipal and Panchayat Raj Acts.  AP government is likely to introduce the draft amendment bills of Municipal and Panchayat Raj Acts in the ensuing Assembly budget session. 

Meanwhile the present term of elected bodies of Panchayat Raj institutions will end in the month of August. Before that Election Commission has to complete the election process which will take about two months. Accordingly the elections have to be conducted in the month of June. AP Election Commissioner Mr N Ramesh Kumar said, “We are ready to conduct the elections; we are waiting for the publication of the final electoral lists. Once the lists are published we will take up the process.” 

He said the elections should be completed by June as the present term of elected bodies of Panchayat Raj institutions will end in the month of August. There are 12,918 Gram Panchayats, 670 mandals and 13 districts in AP.

Meanwhile AP Election Commission is not in a mood to disqualify the sarpanches and ward members for not submitting the election expenditure. The district collectors have the power to disqualify the sarpanches and ward members and ensure that they do not contest in the elections for not submitting the election expenditure. A senior official said many Sarpanches and ward members are uneducated and they also did not know about the submission of election expenditure.