WHAT NEXT: State Election Commissioner A.V.S. Reddy referring to the papers at his office after the High Court struck down the notification. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: State Election Commissioner A. V. S. Reddy said on Tuesday that the commission will go in for an appeal in the High Court in the wake of the Single Judge's verdict quashing the Panchayat Raj election notification on the ground that there was no valid electoral roll.

News of the High Court ruling came as a shock to State Election Commission (SEC) officials who were gearing the election machinery machinery for the polls beginning next week. SEC Secretary G. N. Rao was addressing a press conference when it was conveyed.

Immediately, he and others went into a huddle with Mr. Reddy to take stock of the situation and decide on measures to be taken for appeal.

The commission had issued the notification on June 10 for elections to the mandals and zilla parishads. Direct elections to 16,133 mandal and 1,097 zilla parishad territorial constituencies were to be held in two phases on June 28 and July 2.

Polls to the mandal and zilla parishads were last held in July 2001. The term of the mandals and zilla parishads will end on July 21 and 22 respectively.

Addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference, Mr. Reddy said legal consultations were on to take further action.

"We are seeking legal opinion and will file an appeal on Wednesday in the High Court," he said, and added that the electoral rolls were prepared on the basis of those used in the 2004 Assembly elections.

The SEC was in no way connected with the process of deletions or additions in the voters' lists as the entire process was done under the direction supervision of the Election Commission of India.

Separate rolls

He pointed out that prior to the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, there used to be separate rolls for the municipal and PR elections. But after 1994, the Assembly electoral rolls were taken as the criteria for the conduct of local body polls.

On complaints of alleged irregularities, Mr. Reddy said only two political parties had found fault with the rolls.

He went on to state that no electoral roll was 100 per cent correct. Migration of voters, dual entry at different places as voters and other reasons often led to mistakes.

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