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Telangana: BRS Kothagudem MLA’s election invalid, wrong affidavit filed, says HC
Telangana high court on Tuesday set aside the election of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Vanama Venkateshwar Rao from Kothagudem assembly constituency
With the state elections approaching in five months, Telangana high court on Tuesday set aside the election of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Vanama Venkateshwar Rao from Kothagudem assembly constituency in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The court further declared his nearest rival Jalagram Venkat Rao as the MLA from Kothagudem constituency.
Acting on a 2019 petition filed by Venkat Rao, a high court bench headed by Justice Radha Rani declared the election of Venkateshwara Rao invalid as he had filed a wrong affidavit before the Election Commission of India (ECI) on declaration of his and his wife’s assets at the time of filing of nominations.
After hearing the arguments that went on for more than four years, the high court gave the judgement in favour of Venkat Rao. It also imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on Venkateshwar Rao for filing the wrong affidavit.
Venkateshwara Rao, who contested on a Congress ticket defeated the BRS candidate Venkat Rao with a margin of 4,139 votes in 2018 elections. However, Venkateshwara Rao joined the TRS (now BRS) soon after the elections.
As a result, BRS’ tally of 104 MLAs in the assembly remains unaffected as Venkat rao is also a BRS member.
Venkat Rao said the judgement was on the expected lines and he was happy to be declared as the MLA. “I knew there was merit in my argument and truth will always triumph,” he said.
HT reached out to Venkateshwara Rao for a comment but couldn’t get an immediate response.
