Reinstate state election commissioner: Andhra Pradesh Governor to govt

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan has directed the state government to reinstate Nimmagadda Ramesh as the state election commissioner.

In April, the Jaganmohan Reddy government had, through an ordinance, removed Nimmagadda from the office that conducts the local body elections. The move was following Nimmagadda’s decision to postpone the panchayat and municipal polls in the state scheduled in the second half of March by six weeks, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reddy had then accused the SEC as functioning unilaterally and in a partisan manner.

Based on petitions challenging the removal, the Andhra Pradesh high court had in May annulled the ordinance. The court has ordered Nimmagadda’s reinstatement with immediate effect, while cancelling the appointment of Justice V Kanagaraj, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, in his place.

However, the Reddy government was not inclined to reappoint Nimmagadda and took the matter to the Supreme Court, which refused a stay on the HC order.

Based on the APHC direction, Nimmagadda met the Governor on Monday seeking his restoration in the SEC chair. In a communication to Nimmagadda, through his secretary, on Tuesday, the Governor directed the state government to implement the HC orders.

Two new ministers take oath

On Wednesday, Governor Harichandan administered the oath of office to two new ministers - Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venu Gopala Krishna, MLA, Ramachandrapuram and Dr Seediri Appalaraju, MLA, Palasa, as ministers in the Reddy’s government.

The two new ministers replaced the spots of Mopidevi Venkatramana, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, senior YSRCP leaders, who were elected to the Rajya Sabha recently.