Hyderabad: Former Minister Harish Rao demanded that the government postpone the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) written exam scheduled on the day of the sarpanch elections. A team of lawyers led by senior High Court advocate Shiva Shekar met him on Tuesday and submitted a representation. They requested that he press the government to defer the December 14 exam. Harish Rao said the notification set the test date for filling 118 APP posts, but the same day the State would conduct the second phase of panchayat polling.
He said nearly 4,000 lawyers planned to take the exam. Moreover, he pointed out that test centres are in Hyderabad while the voters’ native villages are located elsewhere. Because the exam runs from 10 am to 5 pm, he said candidates cannot travel home and exercise their voting right.
Former Minister says test timing denies lawyers their right to vote
Harish Rao argued that every citizen must have the opportunity to vote. He said holding a full-day exam on polling day would separate many lawyers from their electorate. According to him, denying voting access in the name of an examination is unfair and goes against constitutional rights. He urged the State government to respond immediately and shift the APP exam to another date. He added that rescheduling would protect both the recruitment process and the democratic rights of the candidates.