HC notice to TS govt over SEC’s appointment

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the State government, State Election Commission (SEC) and other authorities concerned to respond within four weeks to the PIL filed challenging the appointment of retired IAS officer C Parthasarathi as th State Election commissioner. 

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy passed this order in the PIL filed by P Satyanarayana, an advocate, seeking the suspension of Parthasarathi appointment as the SEC, vide GO 33 issued on September 8 this year. 

The petitioner also sought the stay of all further proceedings, including election to the post of Mayor for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and to suspend the GO issued reserving the post of Mayor to general women category. The petitioner named various political parties as respondents to the case. According to petitioner’s counsel PV Krishnaiah, the said appointment ought to have made by the State Governor only in terms of provisions of the Constitution of India, as held by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in its judgment dated May 29, 2020.

In the present case, the State Cabinet recommended the name of Parthasarathi to the said post and the Governor approved the appointment. Consequently, the impugned GO was issued. Under Article 243 of the Constitution of India, the Governor alone is competent to appoint the SEC. After issuing notices to the respondents for filing counter affidavits, the bench adjourned the case hearing by four weeks.