High Court pinpoints Jagan government's haste in sacking Ramesh Kumar asSEC

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Nilam Sawhney sent a file relating to the appointment of the State Election Commissioner (SEC) to governor Biswabushan Harichandan leaving a blank in the place where there should be the name of the new SEC.

The file containing the draft GO appointing new SEC was sent to governor after obtaining the signatures of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and panchayat raj minister P Ramachandra Reddy on April 10 at 3.29 pm.

After the file was sent, the chief minister submitted to the governor the biodata of Justice (retd) V Kanagaraj at 4.02 pm and the governor cleared the file next day at 8.54 am. “Thus, it is clear that the movement of the file for the removal of Mr N Ramesh Kumar as SEC was initiated subsequent to the processing of a file for appointment of the new SEC,” observed the Andhra Pradesh High Court while setting aside the summary sacking of Ramesh Kumar back in April.

The court obtained the note filings and pointed out that the proposal to remove Ramesh Kumar was made at a meeting on April 7 on which day the Law Department and the advocate general gave their opinions. The ordinance was promulgated by April 10. The court made critical comments that the state government rushed the removal of the SEC to have a person of the Chief Minister’s choice.