Lok Sabha Polls: Raghunandhan Rao, Aruna and Etala file nominations

Hyderabad: The BJP was first off the block when the filing of nominations for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls began on Thursday, with top leaders Etala Rajendar and D.K. Aruna among others filing their nominations.

Fifteen candidates filed their nominations during the day, 12 from the general category, three belonging to the SC communities and two from the STs. The nominations can be filed until April 25.

According to the affidavits filed with the nomination papers, the movable assets of M. Raghunandan Rao, BJP candidate from the Medak Lok Sabha seat, increased from Rs 66.33 lakh in 2018, when he contested as MLA from Dubbak, to Rs 9.02 crore in six years.

The value of his immovable assets was Rs 3.69 crore six years ago and went up by a negligible Rs 16 lakh. The immovable assets of his wife, however, nearly doubled from Rs 5.02 crore to Rs 9.02 crore. The affidavit also showed several cases still pending against him.

The income of party vice-president and former minister D.K. Aruna went up from Rs 9.87 lakh in 2018 to Rs 49.66 lakh in five years. She listed jewellery worth Rs 89 lakh. While value of movable assets grew to Rs 3.21 crore from Rs 2.48 crore in 2018 when she contested as MLA, the value of the assets of her spouse dipped from Rs 34 crore to Rs 23 crore. The value of immovable assets of the couple put together remained at around Rs 40 crore.

BJP candidate Etala Rajendar submitted an affidavit showing movable assets at Rs 6.73 lakh which dipped from Rs 32 lakh in 2018. The value of assets of his spouse went up from Rs 14.55 crore to Rs 26.66 crore in the last six years. The immovable assets of the couple put together almost remained at Rs 27 crore, while current liabilities stood at Rs 20 crore.

Pothuganti Bharat Prasad, the Nagarkurnool BJP candidate, listed his income at Rs 4,91,870 for the last fiscal, the value of moveable assets at Rs 17,99,306 and immovable assets at Rs 15 lakh.