Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha has directed authorities to strengthen transparency, security and enforcement measures for the upcoming local body elections, while seeking political parties’ cooperation in implementing the model code of conduct.
Punetha held a meeting with representatives of 19 national and state-level political parties, along with 12 representatives from other states, in Vijayawada on Tuesday. The meeting focused on preparations for the ordinary local body elections and the relevant provisions of election laws.
Political party representatives asked the State Election Commission to expedite the issue of caste and no-due certificates for candidates who had submitted applications. They also sought CCTV coverage of the election process, stricter monitoring of liquor movement, adequate security for contestants and improved facilities for filing nominations at district collectorates.
The parties requested that festivals be taken into account while finalising the election schedule. They also asked the commission to instruct the police to act impartially and maintain a level playing field for all contestants.
The State Election Commissioner said he had already advised authorities to issue caste and no-due certificates expeditiously to aspiring candidates. The commission has also issued detailed instructions for identifying sensitive, hypersensitive and critical polling stations.
Depending on the requirement, these locations will receive additional measures including videography, webcasting and the deployment of micro observers. The commission said these steps were intended to support free, fair and transparent elections.
The SEC also clarified that nominations must be filed before the concerned returning officer or election officer. Security will be provided to contestants wherever a request is received, based on an assessed threat perception.
Earlier, SEC secretary A Mallikarjuna made a presentation on election preparations, including the applicable election laws and the model code of conduct. The commission’s next steps include continued coordination with authorities on certificates, polling-station categorisation, security assessments and nomination arrangements.
