April 22: A division bench comprising Justice Goda Raghuram and Justice Noushad Ali on Thursday upheld laws enacted by the government by amending AP Municipalities Act and the AP Panchayat Raj Act 1994.

The government enacted the laws barring no-confidence motion against sarpanch, upa-sarpanch of a grampanchayat and chairman and vice-chairman of a municipality for a period of four years.

Earlier the ‘no-confidence embargo’ was for two years and it was enhanced to four years by amending the Acts.

Several writ petitions were filed against the amendments contending that in a five-year term providing for a no-confidence only once in four years stifled the power.

Mr S. Sriram , special counsel for the government, argued by citing the order of the Supreme Court that a legislation cannot be invalidated on the basis of political philosophies to annul a legislation. The bench while agreeing the argument upheld the legislations, observing that political philosophies can not be enforced through a court.

Plea on Lagadapati election dismissed

The Vijayawada MP, Mr Lagadapati Rajgopal, got a breather from the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday as it dismissed a petition filed against his election to the Lok Sabha.

One Mr Sunkara Krishna Murthy filed the petition contending that Mr Rajgopal did not disclose the assets of his second wife through which he got a son and also he spent more than the limit stipulated by law.

However, Mr Rajgopal filed objections contending that the person named by the election petitioner cannot be a legally wedded wife and as per law he has to disclose assets of only the spouse and thus he has not violated any law which mandates the disclosure of assets of the spouse only.

Justice K.C. Bhanu dismissed the election petition observing that even if Mr Rajgopal contracted second marriage, such marriage is void and she cannot come within the meaning of spouse. The judge said that the column mentioning the word spouse means a legally wedded wife.

Elsewhere, Justice Bhanu dismissed the objections raised by Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah, minister for major irrigation, on an election petition filed challenging his election from Jangoan Assembly constituency.

Notices to state on release of ads

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakru and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar on Thursday issued notices to the state government on a writ petition filed challenging the action of the government in releasing advertisements in 2009 elections by spending several crores of rupees.