SC dismisses YSRCP’s plea over postal ballots

In a setback to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the YSRCP challenging the Election Commission’s handling of postal ballot vote counting. The bench comprising Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice Sandeep Mehta stated they could not interfere in the matter.
The YSRCP had objected to an order from Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena concerning postal ballots. YSRCP leader Chevireddy Mohan Reddy had filed a petition against the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s decision, seeking an urgent inquiry ahead of the vote counting scheduled for Tuesday.
While the Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition, it ultimately refused to intervene.
The YSRCP aimed to overturn the AP CEO’s memo approving postal ballots validated by an official seal and specimen signature without designation. The Central Election Commission had upheld this decision. YSRCP’s petition sought to challenge the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s recent ruling on postal ballots.
During the hearing, YSRCP’s counsel urged the Supreme Court to expedite the inquiry, arguing that uniform rules and regulations should be enforced by the Election Commission nationwide. They contended that issuing specific orders solely for Andhra Pradesh was unfair. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court bench affirmed it could not interfere with the Election Commission’s decisions at this time