ANANTAPUR: The High Court judgment cancelling the local bodies' election process has come as a bolt from the blue to the contestants, irrespective of their party affiliations. The candidates have taken it as burdensome, particularly from the point of view of election expenditure.

Reacting to the court verdict on Tuesday night, wife of former minister N. Kistappa and TDP candidate for Chilamattur ZPTC N. Varalaxmiblamed the State Government for the financial burden on the candidates.

"My candidature was finalised late, but the ones whose names were finalised before the issuance of election notification have to suffer a major financial blow with the delay in the process," Ms. Varalaxmi said.

Political parties had been raising the issue of irregularities in the voters' lists for the last three-four months and, had the Government acted responsibly to rectify the mistakes the present situation would not have arisen, she felt.

Terming the court verdict as most unfortunate, the CPI leader and former legislator K. Ramakrishna said the financial burden on the candidates of Left parties would be telling.

He suggested the SEC and State Government to appeal against the verdict and continue the election process, as there was no constitutional arrangement to appoint person in-charges to local bodies on completion of term.

However, the Government should own the responsibility for the fiasco.

Cancellation of the process meant draining of efforts and energies of not only the political parties and the candidates, but also of the Government machinery, he felt.

TDP politburo member and former MP K. Srinivasulu termed the court verdict as a slap on the State Government.

Though the verdict meant financial burden to the contestants, it had to be accepted as it was a result of the court verdict, said T. Kavita, Congress candidate for Rapthadu ZPTC, who is also tipped to be the party nominee for ZP chief's post.

The court should have acted much earlier, before the commencement of the election process, if there were problems, she felt.

Former minister and TDP leader N. Kistappa said the combined failures of the State Government and the SEC in attending to the irregularities in voters' lists pointed out by TDP and other parties had ultimately resulted in the court cancellation of election process.

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