SC to dispose of Andhra govt plea regarding SEC tenure in 2-3 weeks

Regarding the stay order on High Court order of reinstating Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner, the Supreme Court today refused to pass any interim orders on the petition by Andhra Pradesh government.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim orders on the petition by Andhra Pradesh government which sought a stay on HC order of reinstating AP cadre IAS Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner(SEC).

The bench led by the Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde said that it intends to dispose of the matter in 2 to 3 weeks and won't be passing any interim orders for now.

Through an ordinance in April earlier this year, the state government had reduced the Kumar's five-year tenure of SEC which he challenged before the HC and subsequently the HC had stayed the order and reinstated him. Challenging the HC order, the state government had moved to the top court.

On June 10, the top court had refused to stay the order of the High Court striking down an ordinance promulgated by the Andhra Pradesh government curtailing the tenure of the state poll panel chief from five years to three.

It had issued notices and sought response from the State Election Commission (SEC) and Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, who was restored as state poll panel chief.

The top court had agreed to hear the plea of state government challenging the recent decision of Andhra Pradesh High Court striking down the ordinance and asked Kumar and others to file their response in two weeks. It had said that there are some constitutional issues involved, which require a hearing.

On May 29, the high court had struck down the Ordinance promulgated on April 10 by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, curtailing the tenure of the SEC from five to three years.

Notably, the high court had delivered the judgment on a batch of writ petitions, including the one by Ramesh Kumar, challenging the Ordinance and the appointment of a new SEC.

The YSR Congress government had on April 10 abruptly removed Ramesh Kumar from the post by promulgating the ordinance, amending the AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, curtailing the tenure of the SEC to three years from five.