Published 08:44 IST, June 11th 2020
Andhra: CPI leader expresses happiness over SC's stand on reinstating Ramesh Kumar as SEC
National Secretary K Narayana on Wednesday expressed happiness over the SC's refusal to stay AP HC's order over reinstating N Ramesh Kumar as the SEC.
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Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary K Narayana on Wednesday expressed happiness over the Supreme Court's refusal to stay Andhra Pradesh High Court's order over reinstating N Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner (SEC). According to the CPI member, removing SEC through an ordinance was a big mistake.
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Narayana said, "Intelligentsia and the judiciary were saying the same. But the Jagan Mohan government acted adamantly. It had not accepted the High Court verdict and gone to the Supreme Court. Now it has to face negation at the Supreme Court too. The bench warned the Jagan government in a harsh tone, not to play with constitutional bodies."
The CPI leader further added that the Chief Minister's attitude is insulting to the Telugu people. Urging him to apologise to the public, the CPI member requested the CM Reddy to not take any "hasty decisions" in the future.
AP HC quashes ordinance
In a major setback to the Andhra Pradesh CM, a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice JK Maheshwari and M Satyanarayana Murthy on May 29 quashed the ordinance issued by the AP government curtailing the tenure of the State Election Commissioner and ordered the reinstatement of Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as the SEC. The bench had ruled that the state government did not have the power to issue an ordinance under Section 213 of the Constitution.
Earlier, AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had described Kumar as 'casteist' and accessed him of inclination towards Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Postponement of local body polls
The controversy was sparked off after N Ramesh Kumar had decided to postpone the local body polls, which were scheduled on March 21 and March 23, due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the AP Chief Minister had slammed the SEC's move alleging him of acting the behest of Chandrababu Naidu. Reddy later met the AP Governor to complain against the SEC.
On April 10, the state government brought in an ordinance to reduce the tenure of SEC from five to three years in order to end Kumar's term who was appointed in 2016. However, the AP High Court and the apex court had upheld the decision to postpone the elections because of the pandemic.
(With ANI Inputs)
08:44 IST, June 11th 2020