TheSupreme Court has recently issued a notice of motion to the Punjab government overelection strategist Prashant Kishor's appointment for the cabinet rank.
The notice came in connection with a petition filed by Labh Singh, a retired boxingcoach and Satinder Singh, a Chandigarh based lawyer, after they challengedPunjab govt’s methodology of appointing Kishor as principal adviser (cabinetrank) to CM Captain Amarinder Singh.
Thebench comprising justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and justice Hemant Gupta hasdecided to take up the matter on the petition after summer vacations.
It maybe noted here that Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 are around the corner andPunjab Congress is knitting the strategy to remain in power. For this, CM CaptAmarinder Singh, earlier in March, had appointed Prashant Kishor as hisprincipal adviser.
For theprevious Assembly Elections in the state, it was Prashant Kishor who formulatedthe strategies and methodologies for Congress easy win.
Meanwhileon the flip side, the petitioners challenging Punjab CM’s decision term hisappointment as a clear violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the constitution. Thepetitioners further allege that the Punjab govt opened no advertisement to appointa candidate for the exclusive post of “principal adviser,” no interviews, nocriteria were adopted either.
Accordingto Article 16(1) of the Indian Constitution, there shall be an equalopportunity to all citizens in employment or appointment to any office underthe state.
“Kishor will be enjoying pay, perks, and allfacilities from the state exchequer. His appointment is contrary to theprovisions in the Constitution,” the petitioners added.
Theyfurther added, “Had proper procedure been followed, more qualified and suitablepersons could have been available.”
However,the Punjab govt made the decision of appointment in a surreptitious and hideous manner that came as a setback to the millions of aspirants, petitioners furtheralleged.
Thepetitioners, however, doubt the intent of the Punjab govt upon the appointment ofelection strategist by the Committee in 2017.
“Thereis a reasonable apprehension in the mind of petitioners that Kishor has beenappointed principal adviser just to make election strategies for the comingelections,” the petition said.
It maybe noted here that in March a similar petition was quashed by the Punjab andHaryana high court.