ECI writes to Telangana govt to recognise BJP leader as MLA

Election Commission (File Photo)


The Election Commission of India has written to Telangana chief secretary and Legislative secretary to recognise BJP national Vice-President DK Aruna as elected MLA from the Gadwal constituency after the high court declared the election of her rival Bandla Kishore Mohan Reddy of BRS void for giving wrong details in his election affidavit.

Although Aruna had submitted the court’s order to the secretary of the state Assembly, there has not been any progress in the matter so far.

The letter of the ECI written by an undersecretary states: “The Hon’ble High Court has declared the petitioner Smt DK Aruna as the returned candidate for 79 Gadwal AC wef 12.12.2018 and declared the election of Sh Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, as void. The said order is being published in the next issue of the Telangana State Gazette.”

Aruna had contested the poll as a Congress candidate but after she lost the election to her nephew and BRS candidate she had joined the BJP and contested from Mahabubnagar constituency for the Lok Sabha elections but lost it too. She was a two time MLA from Gadwal before she lost the election in 2018.

Now, the Congress says it will lodge a disqualification notification if she is recognised as an MLA. The state Assembly is unlikely to meet again if the polls are held in December for Assembly elections in Telangana and will be dissolved soon.