ECI appoints LV Subramanyam as CS of AP

In an interesting development, the Election Commission of India has appointed 1984 batch IAS officer  V Subramanyam as the new Chief Secretary, replacing the incumbent Anil Chandra Punetha, on Friday.

Punetha was in ‘eye of a storm’ over his controversial decision to ignore the Commission’s suspension orders of the state’s Intelligence Chief AP Venkateswara Rao and ‘revoke’ at the instructions of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

However, the AP High Court later withheld the Election Commission’s directive forcing to the Chief Secretary to revert his own order regarding the state’s intelligence chief.

On a complaint from the YSRCP, the Election Commission has directed the AP Chief Secretary to shift out the intelligence chief as well two district police chiefs of Kadapa and Srikakulam, who allegedly acting as ‘ruling party agents’.

However, the state CS has to oblize the care-taker CM Naidu, who challenged the Election Commission orders, claiming that his intelligence chief doesn’t come under its purview. He also issued an ordinance directing the CS to revoke the orders.

But, Naidu had to face embarrassment in the court when it refused to stay ECI directive.

LV Subramanyam, who was also in the race for the Chief Secretary’s post, however, lost out to Punetha, who said to be Naidu’s choice.

Political analysts feel the two serious blows before the polls – High Court refusal to give stay and now the ECI decision to remove Chief Secretary and appoint L V Subramanyam – bound to have some effect on the ruling party’s poll prospects.