Andhra SEC reschedules phase 1 of gram panchayat polls

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 25 (ANI): The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission on Monday rescheduled the dates for the first phase of the Gram Panchayat elections. The first phase will now take place on February 21.

As per the State Election Commission, this will reshuffle the phases that had been initially planned. The previously scheduled second, third and fourth phases will now be the first, second and third respectively.

The dates for the new fourth phase elections will be as follows - Date of issue of notice is February 10, last day for nominations is February 12, scrutiny of nominations will take place on February 13, and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is February 16.

Counting of votes and declaration of results will also be on February 21.

The (now) first, second and third phases will take place on February 19, February 13 and February 17.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging the State Election Commission's (SEC) order to hold Panchayat polls in the state.

Andhra Pradesh government had challenged the order of the state SEC on the ground of vaccination drive to stop the polls in the state.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul dismissed the petition filed by the Andhra Pradesh government on the issue. (ANI)