Tribal Bodies Threaten Stir if Kothapalle Geetha Fielded from Araku
Visakhapatnam: Some tribal organisations have threatened to launch an agitation across the ASR district agency if former MP Kothapalli Geetha is fielded from Araku Lok Sabha constituency.
This, after hints emerged that the BJP high command has tentatively decided to field the here there. Also, the Telangana high court on Monday permitted her to contest the polls despite the existence of some cases against her.
The BJP has been seeking the Araku and other Lok Sabha seats in the state as part of its alliance with the Jana Sena and Telugu Desam.
State convener of the joint action committee of adivasi unions, Rama Rao Dora, said the NDA was planning to resume the mining of Bauxite and hence proposing to field Kothapalli Geetha, as “she always worked against the interests of the Adivasis.”
Dora recalled that Maoists put up posters in the agency area against Geetha, accusing her of playing an active role in facilitating bauxite mining. He said, “We would fight against the Jana Sena and TD if she is fielded from Araku.”
The Telangana High Court permitted her to contest the elections. Earlier, on Jan 13, the HC granted an interim stay for a period of eight weeks on implementation of GO-2, which cancelled the scheduled tribe (ST) caste certificate issued to her by the collector of East Godavari.
Kothapalli Geetha won the Araku Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 on YSRC ticket. She sought a TD ticket to retain her seat in the 2019 polls, but the party turned down her request. She later floated the Jana Jagruthi on the slogan of social justice and it fielded candidates in a few assembly seats. She herself fought the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
Earlier, she had been convicted by the CBI special court in a case of “defrauding” Punjab National Bank to an extent of Rs 42 crore.