Ex-Andhra top poll officer takes reinstatement plea to Guv; Jagan moves SC

The high court, which is presently hearing a contempt petition by Ramesh Kumar against the state government, gave an interim order last week, asking him to make a fresh representation to the governor.

The tussle between retired IAS officer Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar and Andhra Pradesh government over his reinstatement as the state election commissioner (SEC) took another turn on Monday.

File photo of retired IAS officer Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar. (HT Photo)

While Ramesh Kumar approached governor Biswabhushan Harichandan requesting that he be restored as the SEC as per the directions of the state high court, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Monday moved the Supreme Court again to stall any such move.

The high court, which is presently hearing a contempt petition by Ramesh Kumar against the state government, gave an interim order last week, asking him to make a fresh representation to the governor.

Nimmagadda, who met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan in Vijayawada, contended that the high court had confirmed his reinstatement as SEC, as the Supreme Court had dismissed the petition of the state government thrice and refused to grant the stay.

In a statement after the meeting, Ramesh Kumar said the governor had given him a sympathetic hearing and assured to look into his representation. “I am hopeful to get justice at the earliest,” he said.

However, the YSRCP government moved the Supreme Court again seeking a stay on the high court taking up the contempt petition filed by Ramesh Kumar. It argued that the high court could not take up such a contempt petition at a time when the matter was pending before the apex court.

It may be recalled that the Jagan government had, on April 10, removed Ramesh Kumar from the post of SEC through an ordinance reducing the tenure of the SEC from five to three years and appointed a retired judge in his place.

Ramesh Kumar challenged the ordinance in the high court, which struck down the same on May 29. The state government moved the SC challenging the high court order and sought a stay, but the top court refused to grant the same.

When the government refused to reinstate him as the SEC, the retired IAS officer filed a contempt petition last week. The high court asked him to approach the governor and posted the case to Friday for next hearing.