Telangana HC dismisses Vanama Venkateshwar Rao’s petition for stay of disqualification from Assembly

. The court had also imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Venkateshwar Rao for not giving complete property details of himself and his wife in Form 26 to the Election Commission.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Vanama Venkateshwar Rao seeking a stay on the operation of a High Court judgement setting aside his election to the Legislative Assembly from Kothagudem constituency.

Dr Justice Radha Rani of Telangana High Court had set aside Venkateshwar Rao’s election on Wednesday and declared the petitioner Jalagam Venkat Rao as elected to the assembly from the assembly segment from December 12, 2018. The court had also imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Venkateshwar Rao for not giving complete property details of himself and his wife in Form 26 to the Election Commission.

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According to Kutumbaka Ramesh, the advocate who represented Venkat Rao, the Thursday’s petition was also moved in the court of Dr Justice Radha Rani, who dismissed the petition. Venkateshwar Rao had pleaded for suspension of operation of the ‘set-aside’ order stating that he would like to approach the Supreme Court.

Jalagam Venkat Rao had contested to the Kothagudem assembly constituency representing the then Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), but lost to his Congress rival Vanama Venkateshwar Rao. Venkageshwar Rao had later joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now rechristened as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).