The problems that arose between the government of Andhra Pradesh and State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar are a matter of public knowledge. The AP government was upset over the fact that Nimmagadda hadn’t conducted the local body elections in the month of March, because of the increasing threat of Coronavirus in the state.
The AP government then passed an ordinance and removed Nimmagadda from his post. This did not go down well with Nimmagadda, who approached the High Court, saying that the government cannot remove him from office when his tenure did not still end. As a result, Nimmagadda was reappointed as the SEC of the state.
Nimmagadda has now said that the AP government is once again getting involved in the State Election Commission’s duties, and that it is planning to dominate the SEC, by not recognising its independence. Nimmagadda approached the HC and requested to recognise the case registered against the SEC, by the CID, as against the constitution. He also requested for a CBI probe into the matter.
Nimmagadda also said that a fewCID officers had taken away the computer being used by his Secretary Sambamurthy, and that they had taken away all the data stored in that computer. He requested for this computer to be returned by the CID. He said that these CID officers previously wanted to know about the letter that Nimmagadda wrote to the Center, but were now interested in knowing the details of various elections in the state.
Nimmagadda spoke about how the CID threatened and filed false cases against Sambamurthy for formatting a computer that wasn’t working properly. He also said that the CID filed these false cases just to harass and threaten the commission and its officers. In his petition, Nimmagadda stated the Chief Secretary of Home Department, CID additional DG, DGP, Secretary of Union Home Ministry as the chief respondents.
Nimmagadda also requested the High Court to cancel the false cases filed against him and Sambamurthy. The High Court has scheduled the hearing of this case on the 7th of this month. On the other hand, YSRCP member Vijayasai Reddy has requested the DGP to look into the matter of Nimmagadda’s letter to the Center, requesting for personal security.