Amaravati, May 29 (UNI) The ruling YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh suffered a major blow on Friday as the High Court quashed the ordinance, which the government issued appointing former Madras High Court Judge V Kanagaraj as State Election Commissioner (SEC) replacing Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar.
High Court advocate Narra Srinivas told media that the High Court bench comprising Chief Justice J K Maheshwari and Satyanarayana Murthy struck down the government’s ordinance stating that the government could not bring an ordinance under Article 213 in the prevailing circumstances to remove the SEC and appointing a new SEC.
"The HC in its Order nullified the government ordinance and directed the government to reinstate Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as State Election Commissioner.
The judgement copy in this regard is yet to be obtained from the Court", he said.
Three persons including BJP leader and former Minister Kamineni Srinivas filed a PIL in the High Court against the government's decision of removing SEC Ramesh Kumar and appointing Justice Kanakarajan in his place by bringing an ordinance.
Talking to media, Mr Srinivas hailed the High Court’s Order nullifying government ordinance and reinstating Mr Ramesh Kumar.
He said that he had filed PIL in the HC after taking permission from BJP National President. "The Judgement enhanced confidence of people on the judiciary”, he said.
It may be mentioned here that Mr Ramesh Kumar on March 15 postponed the election of Municipal bodies and Village Panchayats, which were slated to be held in the last week of March, by six weeks citing Coronavirus as the reason.
Irate over this, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, addressing a press conference, attributed “caste motives” to SEC Ramesh Kumar for postponing elections.
Then the government through an Ordinance appointed Justice Kanagaraj as SEC on April 11 and he had taken oath.
Responding on the High Court’s verdict, Janasena Party President K Pawan Kalyan said that the HC Order had given breath to democracy.
CPI state Secretary K Rama Krishna, TDP MP K Srinivas and MLC Buddha Venkanna were among those who welcomed the High Court’s judgement reinstating Mr Ramesh Kumar as SEC.
UNI DP CS 1331