The YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the state high court’s order reinstating Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner (SEC).
The government appealed to the Supreme Court to grant a stay on the reinstatement of Nimmagadda and also the high court order striking down the ordinance promulgated last month which sought to reduce the tenure of the SEC from five years to three years and appointing a judicial officer of the rank of a high court judge as the SEC.
The SC is expected to take up the petition for hearing on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Jagan government contended that there were several ambiguities in the high court order with regard to appointment of the SEC. As was done in the past, the state government had all the powers to appoint the SEC
Stating that appointment of Justice Kanagaraj was done as per the law, the government appealed to the court to set aside the orders of the high court and allow Justice Kanagaraj to continue as the SEC.
It may be recalled that the high court struck down the two GOs issued following the promulgation of ordinance removing Ramesh Kumar as SEC and appointing retired judge of Madras high court V Kanagaraj in his place.