The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has rejected reports circulating on social media and other platforms that the state's local body elections could be delayed by another two months.
The Commission said reports suggesting that the election schedule would take another two months to be announced were completely false and unauthorised.
For the past several weeks, preparations have been under way for conducting local body elections in Andhra Pradesh. However, reports had circulated that court cases relating to voter lists and reservations in various local bodies could result in the elections being postponed.
According to the information being circulated, the election process would allegedly begin only after the courts cleared the cases concerning electoral rolls and reservations, while internal preparations were reportedly continuing despite the possible delay.
The APSEC has now clarified that it has not issued any such communication. In an official statement, the Commission said the information being circulated regarding the local body election schedule was not officially authenticated.
It advised the public, political parties and other stakeholders not to believe, rely on or circulate such information. The Commission also warned that the dissemination of false, misleading or unauthorised information in its name could invite action under applicable laws.
The APSEC said any official announcement concerning the election schedule would be made only through an authorised press conference or official press release. It urged stakeholders to verify election-related information through the Commission's official website or authorised communication channels before relying on it.
The government is understood to be focusing on the distribution of welfare schemes and strengthening its political and organisational networks across the state in preparation for the local elections.
The administration is also looking at completing elections to urban local bodies first, followed by rural local bodies, so that funds due from the Finance Commission are not affected by delays in completing the electoral process.
Reports of a possible postponement had caused concern among ruling coalition leaders and cadres who had been preparing for the elections. The latest clarification from the State Election Commission is expected to put an end to speculation over an officially decided two-month postponement.
However, the actual election schedule will depend on the statutory and judicial processes that need to be completed before the Commission issues its formal notification.
