Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government Monday said it is in favour of conducting local body polls in the state as early as possible in the wake of Supreme Court order that the elections be held on the basis of existing 60.5 per cent quota.
"We will be ready to conduct the elections soon," State Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy told reporters here.
Meanwhile, state Election Commissioner P Ramakant Reddy said the Commission would be ready to conduct the elections within 90 days once the government decides on the issues of reservation and delimitation.
The Supreme Court today asked the Congress government in AP to conduct elections to urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions on the basis of existing 60.5 quota to backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
A bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and J S Khehar passed the order on a petition filed by state government and others challenging the decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the authorities to hold the polls by fixing 50 per cent reservation for various sections.
The term of urban local bodies (ULBs) ended in September 2010 and that of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in July 2011. Since then they have been under the rule of special officers in the absence of elected councils.
The Centre had stopped release of statutory grants to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore to these PRIs due to non-conduct of elections.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 18, 2013, 22:32