The disqualification of Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA from Kothagudem Vanama Venkateshwar Rao from his assembly membership by the Telangana high court on Monday has taken an interesting turn.
His nearest rival – Jalagam Venkat Rao of the same BRS party – did not lose much time in claiming the assembly membership.
Equipped with the high court judgement, which declared him as an MLA with effect from December 12, 2018, Venkat Rao approached the state assembly secretariat.
He submitted the high court order copy and also all his personal details to the Speaker’s office and requested that he be declared as an MLA. His followers and family members came to the state assembly in big numbers.
At the same time, Vanama quickly consulted his legal team and filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the high court’s verdict declaring his election as void.
He has requested the apex court to issue stay orders on the high court order, so that he could continue as an MLA for another four months, when the assembly get automatically dissolved for fresh elections.
On Tuesday, Justice G Radharani of the high court said Vanama had failed to furnish full information in the election affidavit as contemplated under Section 125A of the Representation of People’s (RP) Act. Further, the court imposed Rs 5 lakh penalty on him for filing a false affidavit.
Venkateswara Rao had claimed the ownership of the property in the election affidavits in 2004, 2009 and 2014. Other than those, Venakteswara Rao had not disclosed the property details of his wife and income from the Hindu Undivided Family.
Justice Radharani observed that the non-disclosure of assets and sources of income of the candidates and their associates would constitute a corrupt practice.
Venkateswara Rao had knowledge of his assets and had the duty to disclose how the claims were settled and how he had relinquished his right over the properties.