Citizens for Democracy, an NGO consisting of former civil servants, went to the Supreme Court to hear its petition that the ruling regime in Andhra Pradesh is employing its own party cadre in the preparation of the electoral roll ahead of the General and Assembly elections in 2024.
The petition was filed Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, former AP State Election Commissioner, on behalf of Citizens for Democracy. The case was listed before a Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and P.K. Mishra on November 6. However, Justice Mishra recused from the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Vipin Nair, for the NGO, are expected to pray the Chief Justice of India on November 9 to list the case early before another Bench of the apex court.
“The writ is being filed to maintain the sanctity in the electoral process and to restrain the Andhra Pradesh government’s blatant interference in the preparation of the electoral rolls for the parliamentary and Assembly election process through involvement of gram volunteers/ward volunteers and village secretariats/ward secretariats, who are basically the party cadre of the ruling party, instead of involving teachers in the process of registration of voters,” the petition said.
The petition said the State had issued a government order on June 22, 2019 to appoint “village volunteers”. “Lakhs of volunteers —primary party members of the ruling YSRC Party — were appointed by the State government,” the petition pointed out.
PIL on Volunteers in Elections – Part I
