Amravati. Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) state general secretary and Legislative Council (MLC) member Lella Appi Reddy on Monday wrote to the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner seeking his immediate intervention over the alleged hurdles in issuing caste/community certificates and No Dues and No Objection Certificates (NOC). He alleged that due to server failure across the state, a large number of prospective candidates are not able to obtain the necessary documents, which may affect the process of the upcoming local body elections. Appi Reddy, in his letter to the Election Commission, said that the necessary certificates issued through the Village/Ward Secretariat (GSWS) system are not being available on time. According to him, due to technical problems many applicants have to make repeated visits to the offices and yet they are not able to get the required documents.
He urged the State Election Commission to take cognizance of this entire matter and issue necessary instructions to the concerned district administration and departmental officers, so that all the necessary certificates can be provided on time to the eligible candidates wishing to contest the local body elections. The YSRCP leader also demanded that an impartial inquiry be conducted into the role of senior officers associated with the village/ward secretariat system. He says that it should be found out whether the delay in issuing the certificate is only due to technical reasons or there is some administrative negligence or other reasons behind it.
Speaking to the media, Appi Reddy alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government was deliberately delaying the issuance of the certificates. He claimed that the government wanted to avoid facing YSRCP candidates in the local body elections. This allegation has been made by YSRCP. Appi Reddy said that if the caste certificate, community certificate, no-dues certificate and NOC are not available to the eligible candidates on time, then they will not be able to complete the nomination process. According to him, this may affect the fairness of the electoral process and the principle of equal opportunity for all candidates.
He requested the Election Commission to issue instructions to all the district collectors and concerned officers with immediate effect that there should not be any unnecessary delay in the process of issuing certificates. Also, the technical glitches should be removed as soon as possible, so that all the eligible applicants can get the required documents within the stipulated time. The YSRCP leader claimed that the party is continuously receiving complaints from various districts of the state that applications are pending due to frequent server shutdown. He said that if this situation continues for a long time, a large number of interested candidates may be deprived of contesting the elections.
However, there was no immediate official reaction from the TDP-led state government on Appi Reddy’s allegations in this regard. Similarly, the State Election Commission has also not issued any public comment on his letter. Political activities are intensifying regarding local body elections in Andhra Pradesh. Various political parties are busy selecting their candidates and making election preparations. At such a time, the questions raised regarding the process related to issuing certificates have further intensified the political debate.
Documents like caste certificate, community certificate, no-dues and NOC are required for many categories of candidates in the election process. On the basis of these documents, candidates prove their eligibility and file nomination. In such a situation, if the certificates are not issued on time, it can have a direct impact on the nomination process. Appi Reddy said that it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure equal opportunities to all the eligible candidates. He urged the Commission to immediately intervene in this matter and issue necessary guidelines to the concerned departments. At present this matter has reached the notice of the Election Commission. Now it remains to be seen what action the Commission takes in this regard and what explanation is given by the State Government or the concerned departments regarding the server failure and the alleged delay in issuing the certificate. Amidst the preparations for local body elections, this issue has become a topic of discussion in the state politics.
Certificate controversy ahead of local body polls: YSRCP raises questions.
