Former Madras high court judge Justice V Kanagaraj on Saturday assumed charge as Andhra Pradesh state election commissioner, within hours of his predecessor Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar was removed from his post through an ordinance.
Kanagaraj, who was appointed on Saturday morning, flew in directly from Delhi and took charge as the state election commissioner, without giving any scope for others to move the court to stall his appointment or challenge the ordinance.
In a series of lightning developments, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday held an online cabinet meeting where an ordinance was approved making amendments to the AP Panchayat Raj Act, reducing the term of state election commissioner from five years to three years and elevating the status of the SEC to the rank of a high court judge.
The ordinance was promulgated after getting an approval from the Governor and within no time, government orders were issued to bring the ordinance into implementation and ending the term of Ramesh Kumar as the SEC.
The 75-year old legal expert, Kanagaraj served as judge of the Madras high court for nine years and after retirement had been working as a senior advocate in the Supreme Court.
Kanagaraj, who was elevated as Madras high court judge on February 24, 1997, delivered several landmark judgements both in Madras and Madurai benches.
The judgements covered various subjects of national importance such as education, social justice with special reference to women and children, weaker sections and minorities.
He was also nominated to the syndicate and senate of Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University.
He was also engaged as a senior counsel in a number of cases by Tamil Nadu government and Pondicherry government.
