Jagan's trusted aide Nilam Sawhney appointed new SEC of AP

Vijayawada :Andhra Pradesh governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has appointed retired IAS officer Nilam Sawhney as the new State Election Commissioner (SEC).

The term of the present State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar will come to an end on March 31. A few weeks ago, the Andhra Pradesh government had begun the process of selecting the next SEC.

Apart from former Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, who is now Principal Advisor to the CM, the government had proposed the names of M Samuel, advisor to the CM, and another retired IAS officer L Premachandra Reddy for the SEC post.

The governor has now approved the candidature of ex-Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Nilam Sawhney. The other candidates also happen to be retired IAS officers despite their names not having been revealed to the public.

Nilam Sawhney made history when she became the first woman Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the state. She even served as the Chief Secretary for a few additional months after she was given an extension due to the pandemic. She is also one of the Chief Minister's most trusted advisors.

What came as a surprise was that retired Judge V Kanagaraj, who was earlier appointed SEC after the government issued an ordinance removing Ramesh Kumar, was not among the list of probables.

The retired Madras High Court judge was appointed SEC in April 2020 by curtailing the tenure of Ramesh Kumar through an ordinance. However, Ramesh Kumar was reinstated after the court order.