The Supreme Court on Thursday admitted separate appeals filed by the Andhra State Election Commission and BJP leader Atluri Ramakrishna challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court order reinstating N. Ramesh Kumar as the State poll panel chief. The High Court had struck down an ordinance, which retrospectively cut short the tenure of the State poll panel chief from five to three years. Mr. Ramesh Kumar was the incumbent in the office then.
A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, issued notice to Mr. Kumar on both appeals and tagged them to an earlier appeal filed by the Andhra Pradesh government. On June 10, the court declined the State government’s interim plea to stay the High Court order setting aside the ordinance, which amended the Andhra Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act of 1994.
Now, all three appeals on the issue will be heard together.
