The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh has not yet taken any decision on the appointment of new state election commissioner, in the wake of the retirement of present SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar.
There were just speculations in a section of media that Jagan is considering three names of retired IAS officers – M Samuel, Neelam Sawhney and L Premachandra Reddy – for the appointment as the new SEC.
But Telugu Desam Party has already started raising hue and cry over the appointment of the new SEC.
TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Wednesday strongly objected to the appointment of Samuel as the next SEC, since the latter was a co-accused in the quid pro quo case of Jagan.
Ramaiah appealed to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan to reject the candidature of Samuel for a high post such as the head of a constitutional institution like the SEC considering his dubious and questionable background.
“Samuel might have served as a civil servant but he was attending court and facing trial as a co-accused in two of the 11 CBI cases that were filed against Jaganmohan Reddy,” he said.
The TDP leader asked why the Jagan regime set aside the candidature of retired judge and a Dalit like Justice Kanagaraju for the SEC post since he had already served in that capacity under the YSRC rule itself.
“It was Jagan who appointed Justice Kanaga Raju by unconstitutionally and illegally removing Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as the SEC several months ago. Nobody could deny the fact that Justice Kanaga Raju would have the moral right to succeed Ramesh Kumar as the next State Election Commissioner,” Ramaiah said.
