The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has given one more shock to the ruling YCP on the issue of the panchayat elections. It has summarily rejected the petition filed by a person seeking cancellation of the panchayat elections. The petitioner’s advocate argued that over 3.6 lakh young people were not able to vote since the authorities could not prepare the 2021 voters lists. As a result, the State Election Commission (SEC) went ahead with the polls based on the 2019 electoral rolls.

The petitioner also contended that SEC Ramesh Kumar would have postponed till the latest 2021 rolls were available. It was unethical on the part of the SEC to go ahead with the polls without giving voting rights to the youngsters.
However, after hearing the arguments, the High Court expressed its helplessness at this stage and it would not be able to interfere with the election process which had already begun. The court rejected the plea for stalling the panchayat elections and dismissed the petition. The court has also rejected another petition which has made a similar argument.

From day one, the YCP has been moving earth and heaven to postpone the panchayat elections till after SEC Ramesh Kumar’s retirement in March-end. Somehow, the circumstances were not favourable to the Jagan regime while Ramesh Kumar was having the last laugh all the time.