With the expulsion of N Ramesh Kumar, Andhra Pradesh has got a new State Election Commissioner. The SEC is V Kanagaraj, retired Madras High Court judge. He has been appointed for three years through the ordinance route.

Justice Kanagaraj was a judge of the Madras HC judge for nine years. His appointment came soon after the "immediate removal" of Kumar as per the ordinance, which made an amendment to the Panchayat Raj (PR) Act, 1994 for conducting elections to local bodies. The SEC is eligible for re-appointment for another three years subject to a maximum of six years.

The ordinance, which is nothing but backdoor legislation that is justified only if certain conditions exist as per the Constitution, has come in for criticism from TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Congress state president S Sailajanath. In their letters to Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, they described the ordinance as unethical and illegal.