Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, who was removed as SEC by the Jagan government, on Wednesday filed a contempt case in the Andhra Pradesh High Court against the state government for dishonouring the court’s directive.
In the contempt petition, Ramesh Kumar has contended that the Andhra Pradesh government had failed to honour the High Court’s order reinstating him as the State Election Commissioner. Ramesh Kumar also stated that the government did not reinstate him as SEC despite making an appeal.
The contempt petition comes a day after Ramesh Kumar’s meeting with BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sujana Chowdary and former minister and current BJP leader Kamineni Srinivas in Park Hyatt hotel in Hyderabad which has sparked off a political row.
In an act of political vendetta, Andhra Pradesh on April 10 had promulgated an ordinance to remove Ramesh Kumar from his post after he put off civic body elections citing coronavirus. After ousting Ramesh Kumar as SEC, the state government had appointed retired Tamil Nadu judge Kanagaraju as the new SEC. Hearing a batch of petitions including the one filed by Ramesh Kumar, the Andhra Pradesh High Court reversed the government’s decision on May 29.
In a major blow to the Andhra Pradesh government, the court had termed the ordinance unconstitutional and ordered the reinstatement of Ramesh Kumar as SEC. However, a defiant Jagan government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court to stay the HC’s orders. In a setback, the Supreme Court refused to stay the HC orders and observed that the Andhra Pradesh government cannot play with constitutional functionary. Currently, the case is pending in the Supreme Court.