In a huge relief to Kothagudem BRS legislator Vanama Venkateswara Rao, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed Telangana High Court’s orders in disqualifying him as MLA and declaring his 2018 election as null and void.
The Telangana High Court in an election petition filed against him in 2019, issued a verdict on July 25, declaring Venkateswara Rao’s election invalid.
It also said that Jalagam Venkata Rao, who polled the second highest votes in the said elections, would be the Kothagudem MLA right from December 12, 2018.
Venkateswara Rao approached the Supreme Court, challenging the orders of the High Court.
The apex court on Monday heard his petition and issued stay on the High Court orders.It also issued notices to the respondent Venkat Rao, the Election Commission of Inda and others, directing them to file counters in four weeks.
Venkateswara Rao had won the election on a Congress ticket and later joined the BRS.Incidentally, he defeated Venkat Rao, who contested on a BRS ticket.
In his petition, Jalagam sought the court to declare the election of Venkateswara Rao, who was declared elected on a Congress ticket, null and void.The crux of the matter lay in Venkateswara Rao switching from the Congress to the TRS (now BRS) after winning the elections.
This switch, combined with allegations of illegal activities during the elections, led to the court’s decision to invalidate his election.
In addition to challenging Vanama’s election, Jalagam had sought a direction from the ECI to permit the release of EVMs and VVPATs used in the Kothagudem Assembly constituency in the 2018 elections.
