HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India on Monday directed the state government and the Legislature secretary to declare D.K. Aruna, BJP national vice-president, as winner from the Gadwal Assembly constituency in the 2018 elections.
The ECI directive follows Aruna winning a case in the Telangana High Court where she challenged the declaration of BRS candidate Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy as the winner from Gadwal. The court on August 24, declared Aruna as the returned (winning) candidate following which Aruna approached the ECI last week.
Aruna had contested the 2018 elections on a Congress ticket. This means that as and when she takes oath as n MLA, she will have to do so as a Congress candidate. Sources close to Aruna said that she will take oath as soon as she can.
The Election Commission, in its letter to the Chief Secretary and the Legislature Secretary, informed them of the Telangana High Court order and its decision to recognise Aruna as the ‘returned (winning) candidate’ from Gadwal. It also directed the state government to publish Aruna’s election as the winner from Gadwal in the State Gazette.
The ECI letter comes as a blow to the BRS, and Krishna Mohan Reddy, who has been announced as the party candidate from Gadwal.
