NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 21
The Madras high court reserved its orders on a plea moved by Puducherry Local Administration Minister challenging the decision of the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory in appointing the State Election Commissioner (SEC).
In his petition, the Minister A Namassivayam contended that constitutional provisions, provisions of the Puducherry Municipality Act and decisions rendered by the Supreme Court were all flouted by the Lieutenant Governor, Kiran Bedi prior to making the appointment.
The act by the LG was against the Constitution, as the commissioner of the State Election Commission should necessarily be appointed only based on the aid and advice of the council of ministers of the union territory, the petitioner argued.
The petition contended that the Lieutenant Governor’s appointment was with a mala fide intention of delaying the local body elections for the union territory.
In response, the counsel for the LG submitted that every union territory is administered by the President to an extent through an administrator and the order of central government to appoint SEC through a free and fair process cannot be questioned by the council of ministers.
A division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha reserves the orders after hearing out the submissions from both sides.
