As expected, the Andhra Pradesh government’s appeal seeking a stay on the decision of state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to conduct elections to the urban and rural local bodies was rejected by the state high court on Thursday.
The high court refused to grant stay on Nimmagadda’s decision to hold elections in February stating that there was no merit in the argument of the government that the SEC had taken the decision unilaterally.
The state government’s counsel argued before the high court that Nimmagadda had never conducted the state government before making an announcement on the conduct of elections to the local bodies.
“It is in gross violation of the Supreme Court directions,” he said.
However, senior counsel Ashwini Kumar, arguing on behalf of Nimmagadda, pointed out to the high court that the SEC had consulted the state government not once, but thrice and had not taken any unilateral decision.
He produced evidences showing that Nimmagadda had held meetings with chief secretary Neelam Sawhney and the officials of the state medical and health department and also that of state panchayat raj department.
He also said the SEC had written letters to the chief secretary to make arrangements for video conference with the district officials to discuss the possibility of conducting the local body elections.
Ashwini Kumar also sought to know why the state government had not brought it to the notice of the Supreme Court, if the SEC had really violated the Supreme Court guidelines.
“The government has approached the high court only to cover up its lapses,” he argued.
The government counsel sought another opportunity to put forth the state government’s arguments in this regard and the high court posted the case to Friday for further hearing. It refused to grant stay on the SEC orders.
