HYDERABAD: In a relief to senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan, the Telangana High Court on Friday directed the election officer of Telangana Olympic Association (TOA) to accept his nomination and take up the same for scrutiny to enable him to contest in the association election on Sunday.

The Court made it clear that the election of the petitioner would be subject to the outcome of the present case and also subject to the condition that the officer obtain prior sanction of the Central government before assuming charge of the said office in the event of him being declared elected.

Justice T Vinod Kumar passed the order in the petition filed by Jayesh Ranjan, State Principal Secretary of IT, challenging the decision of the election officer in rejecting his nomination to contest the election.
Petitioner’s counsel Ashok Anand Kumar submitted that his client being an executive committee member of Badminton Association of Telangana has sought to contest election to the post of president of TOA.

However, the election officer Justice B Chandra Kumar, retired high court judge, rejected the nomination on the ground that the petitioner attracts disqualification in terms of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968. In fact, the Rules does not prohibit the officer from contesting the election since Rule 13(5) of the Rules only prohibits the officers from holding an elective office without previous sanction of the Central government. The state chief secretary has already accorded permission to him to contest the election.

Besides, the officer has met the requirement as specified in the memorandum of association, he added.
After hearing the submissions of the counsel, Justice Vinod Kumar, prima facie, opined that the rejection of petitioner’s nomination appears to be unsustainable.

The judge directed the election officer to accept the nomination and take it up for scrutiny to enable him to contest the election. Further, the judge directed the election officer to display that the petitioner’s candidature at the said election is subject to result of the present case for information to voting members. The judge posted the matter to March 6.