AP Government To Approach SC In SEC Appointment Case

Shocked at the judgement of the AP High Court on the issue of the suspension of the former State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to challenge it in the Supreme Court of India.

YSRCP MLA Ambati Rambabu said that the government would approach the apex court of the country on the issue and challenge the verdict of the High Court of the state.

Ramesh Kumar had lost his position after the issuance of an ordinance by the state government a month back. He said that retired Tamil Nadu Justice Kanagaraj had been appointed as the State Election Commissioner in the place of Kumar by the state government later.

Leaders of the opposition TDP and BJP had approached the High Court on the issue and urged it to cancel the ordinance and the GO issued by the state government appointing Justice Kanagaraj as the SEC.

Responding to the plea, the High Court today passed orders setting aside the ordinance and the GO issued by the state government.

Speaking about that, Rambabu said that sometimes governments did not get justice in lower courts, but that they could still approach the higher courts to seek justice, and that the AP government was holding discussions with legal experts on the issue.

Targeting Kumar, he said that the former SEC had signed on a letter written by opposition party leader Chandrababu Naidu against a legislative act introduced by the state government to prevent the use of money and liquor in elections, and asked Kumar if it was proper for him to do so.

He said that such letters would denigrate democratic values, and that the government had brought in the ordinance to remove Ramesh Kumar for acting in a partial manner instead of democratically.

He said that the government would respect the verdict of the High Court, but that it would also appeal it in the Supreme Court.