VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Saturday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed challenging the appointment of retired IAS officer Nilam Sawhney as the Election Commission and demanding to recover Rs 160 crore spent on ZPTC and MPTC elections from her.
Hearing the PIL filed by Amaravati JAC leader Dr Maddipati Shailaja, a division bench comprising Chief Justice AK Goswami and Justice N Jayasurya said a writ petition challenging appointment of Sawhney stating that it is against the Supreme Court orders is being heard by a single judge bench and in that context, there is no need to hearing the PIL.
The bench also reminded the petitioner on the occasion that the division bench is hearing a review petition challenging the verdict of a single judge bench regarding ZPTC and MPTC elections. A stay was issued on the single judge bench’s directions and fin al verdict is yet to be delivered, it explained.
Plea against delimitation
The High Court on Saturday issued notices to the principal secretary (municipal administration and urban development), commissioner and Nellore Municipal commissioner and directed them to file a counter in the petition filed seeking cancellation of wards delimitation in Nellore Municipal Corporation.
Petitioners’ counsel Dummalapati Srinivas argued that delimitation notification was illegal and against the High Court’s orders. He said as per rules, the notification should have been published in Telugu, English and Urdu dailies, but it was not done.