A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court comprising Justices Ninala Jayasurya and Chintalapudi Purushottam Kumar dismissed a house motion petition filed by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) seeking additional time to submit nominations for the elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), for which the deadline was 3 p.m. on Sunday (October 18).

The court refused to interfere with the election process, saying that it could not act on it after the notification had been issued and the stipulated time lapsed, while directing the State Election Commission (SEC) to clarify its position with regard to a separate request to allow candidates who could not submit their nomination papers in their places, to do so in the District Headquarters concerned.

Counsel for the SEC informed the High Court that additional time could not be given for filing nominations as the deadline expired and the scrutiny of the papers is scheduled for October 19 and release the final list of contestants to be released on October 21. The ULBs are scheduled to go to polls on October 28 and the results will be declared on October 30.

The YSRCP approached the court with the complaint that ‘unlawful obstructions’ and intimidation prevented several eligible and intending candidates from filing nominations. It sought a direction to the SEC to give a fresh and effective opportunity to all such individuals to formally enter the electoral arena.

However, the High Court turned down the plea, citing some relevant judgments and on the ground that the petition had become infructuous.