Cong moves EC over Telangana BJP leader’s appointment as guv

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee said the CEC should give a clarification as to whether the MCC was applicable only to the official appointments or even the governors

Hyderabad

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar (in pic), the Congresssaid the appointment of a Telangana BJP leader as the Governor was against the model code of conduct, as the state assembly elections in Telangana were announced on September 10. (ANI)

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday took exception to the appointment of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and ex-MP Nallu Indrasena Reddy as the Governor of Tripura by the Centre.

Reddy, who had also served as the state president of the BJP in the undivided Andhra Pradesh twice from 1985 to 1989 and again from 1999 to 2004, was appointed as the Governor by a notification issued by President Drouadi Murmu on Wednesday night.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, TPCC senior vice-president G Niranjan said the appointment of a Telangana BJP leader as the Governor was against the model code of conduct, as the schedule for the assembly elections in Telangana were announced on September 10.

“According to the model code of conduct, no appointments should be made during the enforcement of the code in a state. As such, the appointment of Indrasena Reddy as Tripura Governor will attract the MCC as he is from Telangana which is going to polls on November 30,” Niranjan told reporters later.

He said the CEC should give a clarification as to whether the MCC was applicable only to the official appointments or even the governors.

Telangana BJP spokesperson K Krishnasagar Rao ridiculed the Congress leaders for making an issue out of a non-issue. “A governor is a constitutional position and is not an official appointment. So, it doesn’t come under the purview of MCC,” he said.

Rao pointed out that there had been transfers and appointments of new judges to the high courts in various states during the elections. “Does the appointment or transfer of judges come under model code of conduct?” he asked.