HC directs EC to submit all details of voters for Munugode polls

The High Court of Telangana on Thursday directed the Election Commission to file a written statement explaining all the details of the Latest Voters List of Munugode Assembly Constituency.

The elections are to be held on November 3, 2022.

The High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy heard the writ petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana.

BJP secretary G. Premender Reddy alleged that the Election Commission and State Government authorities were not verifying the false claims, veracity and authenticity of all the Form-6 applications filed for registration as voters in the 93-Munugode Constituency.

The BJP also stated that including the names of fresh applicants in the electoral list was illegal and in violation of provisions of the Representation of the Peoples Act.

Further, to direct the Election Commission and State authorities to freeze the voter lists only up to July 31, 2022.

BJP demanded that no further applications must be processed or included for the upcoming elections.

Counsel for the Petitioner B. Rachna Reddy informed the Court that in the Munugode elections around 23,000 voters are going to be included in the new voter's list.

By furnishing form - 6, in which the new voters be included, recently around 24,000 new applications have been received by the Election Authorities.

A meager applications are rejected, counsel Rachna Reddy alleged.

Avinash Desai, Counsel for Election Commission, informed the Court that the petition is not maintainable, and additionally only 3,000 new voters have been included as per the election Commission's updated voters list process.

Avinash Desai further informed the Court that every year there is an update of the voters list which is a continuation process and the allegations are mere apprehension.

Moreover, the Voters List of Munugode Assembly is already completed and may be released by the Election Commission on 14-10-2022, informed EC Counsel Avinash Desai.

Hearing upon the contentions of both sides, The CJ bench directed the election commission to submit an affidavit explaining all the details of the Latest Voters List of Munugode Assembly Constituency, how many forms were received, and how many were rejected by 14-10-2022.

The CJ Bench directed the registry to list the case first on on 14-10-2022 for further hearing.