Retired IAS officer Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, who was removed from the post of State Election Commissioner (SEC) by the YSR Congress government on Friday through an ordinance route, is learnt to have knocked the doors of the high court for his “unceremonious sacking.”
According to sources, Ramesh Kumar reportedly filed a house motion petition before the high court, which has not been working due to lockdown restrictions. Moreover, the court has holidays on Saturday and Sunday.
He reportedly challenged his removal from the SEC though he still has one more year to go.
He is learnt to have argued that any amendment to the AP Panchayat Raj act could not be done with retrospective effect but would come into force only prospectively.
It is not exactly known whether the petition was admitted for hearing and to which date it was posted.
Ramesh Kumar was replaced by former Madras high court judge V Kanagaraj on Saturday morning.
His appointment was made through a GO which was issued in tune with the ordinance promulgated on Friday night. Without losing any time, Kanagaraj took over as the SEC and handed over his joining report to the Governor.
While TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu cried foul over the removal of Ramesh Kumar through an ordinance, the YSR Congress party strongly defended the move.
“We have no option but to change Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, only after ascertaining that he was acting as per the directions of the TDP chief,” minister Mopidevi Venkataramana said.
He alleged that Ramesh Kumar had postponed the local body elections at the behest of Chandrababu Naidu.
“Sometimes, we may have to take decisions within hours depending on the situation and necessity. The opposition leader has been indulging in malicious propaganda, without giving constructive suggestions,” Mopidevi alleged.