Ramesh challenges Ordinance in HC

VIJAYAWADA: Former State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar filed a writ petition in the High Court on Saturday challenging the Ordinance issued by the State government amending the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act. 

With the Ordinance coming into force on Friday, Ramesh Kumar ceased to hold the office of the SEC, as under the new eligibility criteria, only a retired judge of High Court can hold the post. Further, the tenure of the SEC has been reduced from five years to three. In his petition, Ramesh Kumar urged the court to stay the appointment of retired High Court judge V Kanagarajan as the new SEC till the final verdict is issued on his petition and reinstate him as the SEC for the reminder of his tenure of five years. 

The government has brought Kanagarajan by road from Chennai in spite of the nation-wide lockdown. “The State Election Commission is an autonomous body and changing the service rules is illegal and anti constitutional,” he said.  Postponing the conduct of local bodies elections was the only reason for the State government’s hasty decision, he alleged. Ramesh said had he not taken the decision, the entire State would have become a coronavirus hotspot. He said his decision was welcomed by the public at large, but opposed by the government.  New SEC Kanagarajan was also made a respondent.