HC refuses to stay GHMC polls, pulls up Congress leader for late petition

HYDERABAD: Refusing to stay the ensuing elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), a division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday pulled up the petitioner — Congress leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar for filing a petition in the eleventh hour. Dasoju alleged that the State government was not implementing the Supreme Court directions issued in 2010 for taking up the exercise of identifying politically backward class people prior to holding the polls. 

“Why has the petitioner rushed to the court at the eleventh hour? Why is he sleeping over the matter for the last 10 years and why is he saying now that the State government is not implementing the Supreme Court order? He should have filed a contempt case before the Apex Court or should have approached the High Court a few months earlier. The present case is clearly a political ploy to ensure postponement of the election. This is a politically motivated petition which cannot be entertained. The petitioner’s last minute rush to the court to stall the GHMC elections will create hurdles in the democratic process,” the bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, observed and warned of imposing heavy costs for resorting to such an act.

The bench, however, agreed to hear the case as the issues raised in the petition pertains to Constitution of India. It issued notices to the State government, State Election Commission, GHMC and State Commission for BCs Welfare to respond on the issue.The bench passed this order in the lunch motion petition moved by Sravan Kumar.

Petitioner’s counsel K Pavan Kumar told the court that the State government is going ahead with conduct of GHMC elections without identifying the list of politically backward classes. The bench directed the Registry to tag the case with two similar petitions filed in 2015 and 2016 and posted the matter to December 28 for further hearing.