Go ahead with bypolls, SC to EC

In response to an Election Commission petition, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed that byelections to Siricilla and Vemulawada Assembly Constituencies would be held as per the notification.

The Election Commission on Wednesday sought a direction as to whether the byelections to Sircilla and Vemulawada seats could be held as per schedule in the wake of a Karnataka High Court order against holding byelections to a seat, for which an election petition was pending.

In a great relief to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a division bench of the apex court on Thursday directed that the hearing on an election petition would not affect the holding of by-elections and declaration of results. 

The TRS felt that the EC had taken the decision to hold elections to the two seats under pressure from the ruling Congress earlier. Now in the wake of reports that the party was losing the seats the EC went to the court seeking to withhold the polls to favour the Congress, the TRS alleged.

The court while issuing notices to the Centre, Solicitor General, Attorney General and TRS sought to know their opinion on Article 151 in the Representation of People’s Act.