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Andhra assembly to summon state election commissioner for breach of privilege
The privileges committee wants to seek Ramesh Kumar’s explanation on some objectionable comments he had allegedly made against two ministers in the Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet last week.
Andhra Pradesh’s state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar’s long-running battle with the Jagan Mohan Reddy government took another turn on Tuesday with the privileges committee of the state legislative assembly proposing to summon him for a personal appearance in the House.
The committee wants to seek Ramesh Kumar’s explanation on some objectionable comments he had allegedly made against two ministers in the Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet last week.
It is for the first time in the history of Andhra Pradesh state legislature that an election commissioner, who is a Constitutional authority, would be summoned for a trial before the House.
The privileges committee, headed by YSR Congress party MLA Kakani Goverdhan Reddy, held an emergency virtual meeting to look into the notice for a privilege motion forwarded to him Monday evening by state assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram.
Reddy said under clauses 212 and 213 of the state legislature’s rules, the assembly can summon state election commissioner for causing breach of privilege of any members. He reminded that there was a precedent in Maharashtra state legislature in which the SEC was summoned before the assembly under similar conditions.
Telugu Desam Party member of the privileges committee Anagani Satyaprasad, however, objected to summoning of the SEC. He said under Article 243K of the Constitution of India, the SEC enjoyed supreme powers and as such, he could not be called to the assembly.
The committee decided to meet again next week physically, instead of virtually, to take a final decision on summoning the SEC after a detailed discussion, since it is a serious issue.
The notice for a privilege motion against Ramesh Kumar was given to the Speaker on Saturday by two ministers – panchayat raj minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and municipal administration minister Botsa Satyanarayana.
The ministers, in their separate representations to the Speaker, alleged that the SEC had made certain objectionable comments against them in his letter to Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan last week.
Stating that the tone and tenor of the letter was intimidating, the panchayat raj minister alleged that the SEC had made several castigating remarks which were libelous in nature and amounted to breach of privilege of the members.
A YSRC leader familiar with the development said the privileges committee looked into a precedent in Maharashtra assembly in 2008, when it summoned then state election commissioner Nandlal to the House on charges of breach of privilege.
“When Nandlal did not turn up before the assembly for giving an explanation, the assembly sentenced him to two days' simple imprisonment for contempt of the House. He was not even given a chance to move the state high court,” the YSRC leader said.
