While the entire machinery in the country is engrossed in fighting the battle against Covid-19, the newly elected State Election Commissioner and retired Madrash High Court Judge Kanaga Raju on Monday asked his staff to gear up for the elections whenever they are announced.

While Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar postponed the elections to civic bodies even before the coronavirus outbreak in the state as a preemptive measure, Kanaga Raju advised the electoral commission staff to be ready for the elections. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of achieving ‘Gram Swaraj’, he reminded his staff that this can be achieved only through Panchayati Raj system. He took stock of the situation in the state arising out of corona outbreak. The election commission officials reportedly apprised the State Election Commissioner that the state was divided into three key zones – red, orange and green – based on the seriousness and gravity of the situation in the hotspots.

The State Election Commissioner was of the view that elections could be held in green zones where there is little or no impact of corona virus.

The State government had moved the Supreme Court challenging the SEC’s decision to put off elections in the State. The Supreme Court upheld State Election Commissioner Ramesh Kumar’s decision to defer the elections to local bodies in Andhra Pradesh. Following this, the Jagan government brought in an ordinance amending the AP Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and cut short the tenure of Ramesh Kumar from five years to 3 years. Subsequently, the government appointed Kanaga Raju as the new SEC.

Elections to the local bodies in some states were deferred. The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Tuesday deferred the upcoming elections to local bodies in the state till further orders as a precautionary measure to check the spread of coronavirus. Even, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has deferred the Rajya Sabha elections that were scheduled for March 26 in view of the lockdowns announced in Delhi and most other states.