Terming the appointment of retired IFS officer Roy P. Thomas as the State Election Commissioner to be “illegal,” Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Thursday said the government has not yet completed the legal process in challenging the initiative taken by the Lt. Governor in the appointment process of the SEC.
“We are in the process of challenging the High Court order in the Supreme Court. Because of COVID-19, the process got delayed,” Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy told The Hindu.
The Madras High Court had dismissed a writ petition filed by Minister for Local Administration A. Namassivayam challenging the Lieutenant Governor’s decision to reject the nominee of the Cabinet for the SEC post.
The court upheld the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Lt. Governor to call for advertisements. Mr. Narayanasamy said when the file for Mr. Thomas’s appointment came to his office, he had questioned the decision.
“The appointment was based on a notification which was annulled by the Legislative Assembly. How could the appointment be made on the basis of a notification quashed by the Speaker. I wanted the Legal Department to examine the issue but my concerns were completely ignored. It is a unilateral decision taken after bypassing a democratically elected government,” the Chief Minister said.
