Andhra BJP welcomes SC judgment refusing stay on HC order on SEC

Andhra Pradesh Unit of BJP has welcomed the Supreme Court order in which it refused to stay Andhra Pradesh High Court order reinstating Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as State Election Commissioner (SEC). Party spokesperson Sadineni Yamini said that it is a lesson for the YSRCP Government.

"We welcome the Supreme Court Judgement on Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar. SC has refused to stay Andhra HC orders in the SEC case and asked the defendants (Andhra Pradesh Government) to file counters in four weeks. It is a lesson for the ruling YSRCP Government. However SC did not mention anything specifically about the re-appointment of Ramesh in this judgement," she said in a video message.

"This judgement was expected as Andhra Pradesh has approached SC with a clear mala fide interest, just to satisfy their ill decisions are correct. The State should respect the Judiciary, officers and constitutional bodies and stop misusing crores of public money. BJP is not doing any favour to any individual. However, we are supporting the constitution. Andhra Pradesh HC has already given judgement against Andhra Pradhesh government, it is the time for the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to rethink on his advisors and advocates who are helping and advising him," she added.

The post of SEC has been a point of contention in Andhra Pradesh for the past two months.

Earlier, Ramesh Kumar resumed the office of Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner on Friday soon after the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered the state government to reinstate him. The division bench of the High Court, headed by its Chief Justice J K Maheshwari, cancelled the ordinance brought by the government changing the rules of appointment of State Election Commissioner stating that the state government has no power to do so.

The Andhra Pradesh government appealed in the Supreme Court against the verdict of High Court of reinstating Ramesh Kumar to the post. SC refused to stay the Andhra Pradesh HC order.

The BJP leader recollected that recently the YSRCP ruled Andhra Pradesh Government failed in courts in connection with painting of Government buildings with party flag colours.

"This is not the first time SC has given a similar kind of judgement. Earlier in the case of the colouring of all the government buildings with the YSRCP colour, Andhra Pradesh Government was defeated," she said.

( With inputs from ANI )