Context: Anil Chandra Punetha appointed as State Election Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission. Orders to this effect were issued by the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department.
- Anil Chandra Punetha is a 1984-batch IAS officer and is currently serving as the State Vigilance Commissioner.
- He had earlier served as the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh during the TDP government prior to the 2019 elections.
- After the coalition government came to power in 2024, he was appointed as the Vigilance Commissioner
- He has now been appointed as SEC following the completion of the five-year tenure of Neelam Sahni, which ended on the 31st of last month.
About AP State Election Commission:
- The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were passed by the Parliament in December 1992. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 and the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 came into force on 24.04.1993 and on 01.06.1993 respectively which added Part-IX (The Panchayats) and Part-IXA (The Municipalities) to the Constitution of India respectively. These amendments empowered the Rural Local Bodies (Panchayat Raj Institutions) and Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Bodies) as the institutions of Local Self-Governments.
- Pursuant to these Constitutional Amendments, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh constituted the State Election Commission on 17.06.1994.
- The powers and functions of the State Election Commission under Article 243K and 243ZA of the Constitution of India are identical to those vested in the Election Commission of India constituted under Article 324 of the Constitution of India in their respective domains.
- The Election Commission of India is vested with the responsibility of conducting elections to Parliament and State Legislatures, whereas the State Election Commissions are vested with the conduct of elections to Rural and Urban Local Bodies in their respective States.
- The superintendence, direction and control of preparation of electoral rolls for conduct of all elections to Panchayat Raj and Municipal Bodies in the State under Article 243K and Article 243ZA of the Constitution of India, shall be vested in a State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor.
- The State Election Commission conducted four ordinary elections to Rural and Urban Local Bodies in the combined State of Andhra Pradesh from 1995 onwards.
- The A P Reorganization Act, 2014 came into force from the Appointed Day i.e., 02.06.2014. The State Election Commission was included in the Tenth Schedule under Section 75 (2) of the A P Reorganization Act, 2014. The State Election Commission of undivided State was continued to exercise jurisdiction over the two States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana till the constitution of a State Election Commission for the State of Telangana on 27.09.2014.
- The Governor of Andhra Pradesh constituted the State Election Commission for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh on 30.01.2016.
- The first ordinary elections to Rural and Urban Local Bodies in the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh were conducted in the year 2021.