Cuttack: A petition was filed in the Orissa High Court (HC) Tuesday challenging the validity of appointment of Naba Kumar Nayak as the State Election Commissioner (SEC).
In his petition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state vice president Samir Mohanty informed the HC that Nayak’s appointment as the SEC is likely to influence the upcoming elections. The petitioner has urged the HC to terminate Nayak’s appointment.
Chief Secretary, SEC Naba Kumar Nayak and secretaries of Governor, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department and Panchayati Raj department were made parties to the case.
Terming Nayak’s appointment as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘Politically motivated’, Mohanty said that as per norms, a Chief Secretary rank official should be appointed to a key position like SEC. However, the state government has appointed a retired and lower rank official in violation of the guidelines.
The BJP leader further alleged that even as Nayak was to retire in March 2014, it was his inclination towards the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) that his term was extended by six months. The retirement age for SEC being 65, Nayak would serve till March 2019 and may interfere in the poll process, the petitioner alleged. In order to conduct free and fair civic body elections scheduled for September this year, Nayak’s appointment as SEC should be terminated, the petitioner urged the HC.
PNN
