Lok Satta Party flays postponement of Civic elections for partisan purposes

The Lok Satta Party today accused the Government of trotting out lame excuses for repeatedly deferring elections to municipal bodies.

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao pointed out that elections had been postponed from September 2010 when they were due. Deferment of elections runs counter to Constitutional provisions and deprives people of elected local governments.

The Lok Satta leader underlined that elections should have been held on the basis of the 2001 Census when they were due in September 2010. The Government contention it waited for 2011 Census data for making reservations to SCs and STs was untenable in September 2010. Similarly, the formation of new municipalities did not come in the way of holding elections to existing municipalities.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao charged the Government with riding roughshod over people's democratic rights simply to serve ruling party interests. Rocked by corruption scandals and schisms within its ranks, the ruling party would like to defer the day of reckoning as long as possible, they said.

By deferring elections to civic bodies, the State Government is adding to their financial woes since many Central grants are contingent upon there being elected bodies in place, Mr. Srinivasa Rao added.