High Court gives a blow to Jagan over SEC appointment

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The YS Jaganmohan Reddy government on Friday received a judicial setback in the matter pertaining to the recent removal of Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner.  In a blow to the YSRCP government of Andhra Pradesh, the High Court ordered the reinstatement of N Ramesh Kumar as the SEC.

“We are setting aside the appointment of Justice (retd) V Kanagaraj.  We are cancelling the GOs amending Panchayati Raj Act,” the court said.  The amendment, which was brought through an Ordinance, had reduced the tenure of the SEC from 5 to 3 years.

In mid-April, the Chief Minister decided to remove the SEC following a “row over the postponement of local body elections”. The issue has been a politically polarizing one in the State at a time when the pandemic is still a gigantic problem.  What is more, the controversial ordinance had also changed the eligibility criteria for the selection of the SEC, saying that the Governor shall appoint as SEC a person, who has held an office of the judge of a high court, on the recommendation of the government.