Telangana: Farmers file petition in HC to postpone election in Nizamabad

A section of farmers have moved a petition in the High Court requesting to postpone Lok Sabha election in Nizamabad and use ballot papers.

"Sixteen farmers, who are contesting as MP candidates from Nizamabad, have moved a lunch motion petition in the High Court. We have represented the matter to High Court and the farmers stated in the petition that most of the farmers who are contesting as MP candidates from Nizamabad parliament constituency have not received symbols till now and they don't have enough time for campaigning in the constituency," Rachana Reddy, High Court advocate, told ANI over phone.

Reddy said the farmers have requested the High Court to postpone the Nizamabad polls and conduct it in Phase two on April 18 so that they will get enough time for campaigning.

Also, they stated that the Election Commission should use ballot papers instead of EVMs. The HC has asked to show the nomination papers of all the petitioners and the case has been posted for April 8, Reddy added.

This comes after a team of the Election Commission of India led by senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha held a series of meetings with the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, Rajat Kumar, DEOs and other election-related authorities on Monday and Tuesday in Hyderabad.

They reviewed special arrangements made for the conduct of elections in Nizamabad constituency and made a detailed evaluation of the logistic requirements and various EVM protocols according to an official statement.

Lok Sabha election will be held in Telangana in the first phase on April 11. The result will be announced on May 23.