No Election Commission permission: Telangana Cabinet meet put off

HYDERABAD: The much-awaited state cabinet meeting called by chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday after the recent Lok Sabha elections could not be held as the govt did not get the Election Commission's permission till 7 pm.

According to CMO sources, there was no reply from the EC till 7 pm, after which the cabinet meeting was postponed. The Congress govt has decided to pursue the matter seriously with the EC again and wait till Monday. If the govt doesn't get permission by then, a delegation of Congress ministers will go to Delhi to meet the EC authorities.

The chief electoral office in Telangana said it forwarded the letter from the state govt seeking permission to hold the cabinet meeting to the EC and was waiting for a reply.

The CM said: "If need be, I will also go along with ministers to Delhi and seek permission from the EC."

CM, ministers waited till 7pm for EC approval
We have decided to hold the cabinet meeting only after seeking the permission from the EC. Several important issues will remain pending until we get the EC nod," the CM added.

Sources said the plans of the govt to take decisions on issues such as crop loan waiver, holding celebrations on completion of 10 years of formation of Telangana state and discuss about the disputes between the two Telugu states, among others, at the proposed cabinet meeting went awry.

The govt had sought permission from the EC since the model code of conduct was still in force though polling in 17 parliamentary constituencies in Telangana concluded on May 13.

Following letters sent from the CMO, ministers came to the secretariat in the afternoon. Chief secretary A Santhi Kumari, senior IAS officers and officials from various departments also landed at the secretariat on the dotted hour. Along with the CM, the ministers and officials waited till 7 pm for EC's approval and then announced postponement of the cabinet meeting.

Though there was no clarity as to why the EC had denied permission or extended at least a 'conditional permission' to hold the cabinet meeting, political circles were agog with the talk that the model code of conduct was still in force and would continue till June 4 when counting of votes will be taken up and results announced.