As expected the ruling YSRCP has abstained from the all-party meeting called by State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to discuss the local body elections in the state.

The SEC called for one-on-one meetings with political parties as he aims to conduct the local body elections, YSRCP Sattenpalli MLA Ambati Rambabu claimed that Ramesh Kumar did not consult Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney or Health and Family Welfare Secretary on holding local body elections. Although the SEC informed all political parties that a meeting will be held on October 28 at 10.30 am to discuss local body polls, Ambati Rambabu claimed that the YSRCP government was not consulted on the issue, which was a violation of a verdict given by the Supreme Court.

The meeting was attended by representatives of all political parties, including TDP, CPM, CPI, BSP, and Congress.

TDP’s newly appointed president of AP wing Atchannaidu slammed the YSRCP for not attending the all-party meeting called by the SEC. He said the YSRCP has developed cold-feet and scared of going ahead with the elections with the fear that it beat a retreat at the hustings.

Atchannaidu ridiculed the YSRCP government’s stand to put off the elections citing pandemic as hypocritical. He said when Ramesh Kumar postponed the polls at the peak of the outbreak of the pandemic, the YSRCP government wanted elections.

“The adamant government even removed Ramesh Kumar and appointed former Tamil Nadu justice Kangaraju. Now, the Covid-19 situation has improved. The markets have been opened. The YSRCP government is ready to open schools from November 3 but is opposing elections citing the Covid-19 situation. This is double standards and highly hypocritical. The YSRCP knows that it is going to lose the polls, and therefore it is not keen on holding the elections,” Atchannaidu said.

Meanwhile, all political parties, including the TDP, BJP, the Janasena, and the Communist parties demanded that the previous election notification be canceled since the ordinance brought by the YSRCP has not become law and urged that the SEC to issue a new election notification. They asked the State Election Commission to ensure that the elections be held under the protection of the central forces. Although representatives of the Janasena Party did not attend the meeting, the party has sent its opinion to SEC via mail.