HYDERABAD: The Telangana government is yet to respond to the
State Election Commission's letter whether to go ahead with the municipal elections or not.
Election Commission officials said they will continue to make arrangements for conduct of polls on April 30 until they get a written reply from the government.
They appealed to all the concerned not to believe in rumours that elections have been postponed.
If it happens, it would be formally announced by the election commission, they said.
In view of the night curfew imposed by the state government, the Election Commission has issued revised orders on permitting loudspeakers.
Officials said the loud speakers are allowed at public meetings and road shows only between 6am and 8pm for campaigning during the ensuing municipal elections.
Prior to the night curfew orders, the election authorities had given permission for loud speaker usage between 6am and 10pm.
Meanwhile, leaders of
Congress, Telangana Jana Samithi and CPI have urged Telangana State Election Commissioner C Partha Sarathi to defer the municipal polls until the
Covid-19 intensity comes down.
In letters written to the election commissioner, G
Niranjan of the Congress, M Kodandaram of
TJS and Chada Venkat Reddy of CPI stated that going ahead with the elections to seven urban local bodies would be putting the lives of 15 lakh population, thousands of political leaders, election staff, police personnel and all their family members to risk of Covid-19 infection.
Even Prime minister Narendra Modi has appealed to restrict the movement of people.
“It is unfortunate that the election commission is delaying in taking a wise decision by seeking the opinion of the state government and the health department.
The
TSEC should realise that elections should not be conducted during a pandemic. We request the election commission not to play the lives of people by going ahead with conduct of elections,” Niranjan stated in his letter to Partha Sarathi.
Sources said the state government is likely to take a decision on Thursday.