A day after Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar announced that he had resumed charge as the Andhra Pradesh state election commissioner (SEC) following the state high court’s verdict declared his removal through an ordinance illegal, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government declared that Nimmagadda had no such legal right.
State advocate general Sriram Subrahmanyam said though the high court had struck down the ordinance and the GOs issued by the state government reducing the tenure of the SEC and appointment of Justice V Kanagaraj in place of Ramesh Kumar, it had nowhere mentioned that Ramesh Kumar could re-join the duty.
“It was Ramesh Kumar who thought he was reinstated by the high court. He even sent a message to all the district collectors and issued directions to SEC officials to send vehicles to his Hyderabad office. He even asked the SEC standing council Prabhakar to resign so that he could appoint a new advocate. All these are against the law, as Ramesh Kumar cannot declare himself as reinstated,” the advocate general said.
He pointed out that the state government would be moving the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the high court judgement and also asking the apex court to give clarity on the high court directions on SEC appointment.
“Till such time, Nimmagadda cannot take up any duty,” he said.
Subrahmanyam pointed out that the appointment of Nimmagadda itself was illegal.
“The then government suggested the name of C R Biswal initially, but a month later, Ramesh Kumar was appointed. If, as per the high court order, the state government has no right to appoint the SEC, then Nimmagadda’s appointment is also not valid,” he said.
