Amid the continuing row over the electoral rolls of Telangana, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Hyderabad High Court to hear the matter on Friday and if any irregularities were found it can extend the date of publication of the final list of voters.
A division bench headed by Justice AK Sikri also ruled that the High Court had the powers to stay the conduct of elections. On a petition filed by the senior Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy questioning the early elections in Telangana and alleging irregularities in the preparation of electoral rolls the Supreme Court asked the Hyderabad High Court to hear the case on Friday.
In his petition Marri Shashidhar Reddy complained that a large number of genuine voters were deleted from the rolls and 65 lakh bogus names were include in the voters’ list in Telangana. He pleaded that without correcting the mistakes holding the elections will not be correct.
Counsel for the petitioner Abhishek Manu Singhvi drew the attention of the apex court that because of the early finalization of electoral rolls as many as 18 lakh youth will not be able to vote as they will attain the age of 18 years by January 1.
The counsel for petitioner argued that because of the early elections a large number of first time voters would be deprived on their right to vote as the electoral rolls were being finalized much ahead of the original schedule.
After hearing the arguments the Supreme Court directed that the High Court should hear the petition along with four other petitions already pending before it on the same issue.
Briefing the reporters later petitioner’s counsel Jhandyala Ravi Shankar said that a writ petition would be filed in the High Court in Hyderabad tomorrow. He said that the Supreme Court referred the matter to the High Court only after it was satisfied with the petition. In case the irregularities were found in the electoral rolls the Supreme Court has authorized the High Court to delay the publication of the final rolls beyond October 8.