SC Rejects YSRCP Plea in SIR, Clears Way For Local Body Polls

The YSRCP suffered a setback in the Supreme Court, after the apex court dismissed its plea on SIR, paving way for the local body elections in AP.

New Delhi: The opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) suffered a setback in the Supreme Court after the apex court on Friday upheld the Andhra Pradesh High Court judgment on the matter of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process. The YSRCP filed a petition in the SC seeking that local elections be held only after the SIR process is completed. The court did not take any of the issues raised by the party into consideration.

The State Election Commission told the Supreme Court that it is ready to issue the notification within six weeks, in line with the timeline set by the High Court. The Supreme Court made it clear that if the SIR is completed before the notification is released, that voter list should be used. If not, elections can be conducted using the existing (old) voter list.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant upheld the APHigh Court's judgment on the matter. The bench also observed that obstructing the conduct of elections amounts to obstructing public interest.

The Supreme Court also dismissed an appeal filed by the AP government challenging an order of the High Court which struck down two government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for backward classes in local body elections.The High Court on October 1 had struck down two government orders, observing that the quota was against Supreme Court guidelines that total reservation should not exceed 50 per cent.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu said the AP High Court passed a reasonable order which had directed the state government and the State Election Commission to begin the election process within six weeks.