Two MLAs Had Dubious Exits from the second Assembly

Hyderabad: For the first time in the history of the Legislative Assembly of the undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two MLAs were declared disqualified by the High Court and prohibited from continuing as members of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.

The Telangana High Court had set aside the election of two BRS MLAs, Vanama Venkateswara Rao, representing Kothagudem Assembly constituency and Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy of Gadwal constituency, as void from the date of their election in December 2018. They were disqualified on the grounds that they had suppressed facts about properties belonging to them and their spouses in the election affidavits submitted during the nominations for the elections in December 2018. The court declared their respective nearest rivals to them as MLAs.

However, both of them approached the Supreme Court and received relief as the apex court put the orders of the High Court in suspension for some time.

Meanwhile, over 20 election petitions have been filed against the election of MLAs, including ministers Koppula Eswar, Gangula Kamalakar and V. Srinivas Goud.

The High Court will on Tuesday pronounce its judgment on an election petition, which challenged the election of prohibition and excise minister V. Srinivas Goud.