ULB election process in AP would continue as scheduled :SEC

The State Election Commission of Andhra Pradesh today said it will continue with the schedule of the elections to Urban Local Bodies even as political parties demanded to withhold ULB results on April 2 fearing its bearing on Lok Sabha polls.
The elections to ULBs are slated for March 30 and counting of votes for April 2. The SEC had announced the schedule on March 3 in accordance with the High Court order.
As per the schedule announced by the ECI today, notification for the first phase of elections to 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly constituencies in the Telangana region is to be issued on April 2 itself.

Political parties fear that declaration of ULB poll results would have a bearing on the general elections. They contended that results of ULB polls could virtually become "exit polls" ahead of the LS elections.
The parties requested the Election Commission of India to withhold results of the ensuing elections to ULBs, citing that opinion and exit polls were already banned.
At a meeting with state Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal here this afternoon, leaders of all major political parties like TDP, BJP and TRS raised the issue and wanted the EC to withhold the ULB election results.

Incidentally, ULB polls are under the domain of the State Election Commission that is as independent as the ECI. Nevertheless, CEO Bhanwarlal told reporters in the evening that he would refer the issue to the ECI for clarification.

"The ECI will decide what has to be done 'constitutionally and legally' in the matter," the CEO added.
But the State Election Commission maintained that the ULB election process would continue as scheduled.
"As things stand, there is no change in our schedule as ULB polls are being held as per the directions of the High Court," SEC secretary Navin Mittal told PTI tonight.
Meanwhile sources pointed out that the SEC is "as independent and as constitutional" as the ECI.
"ECI cannot in any way direct us," SEC sources added.