Telangana high court junks petition against CPI MLA's poll win
Hyderabad: Stating that baseless election petitions should not be kept hanging like the sword of Damocles over the heads of legislators for long as they distract them from pursuing public service goals wholeheartedly, the Telangana high court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the victory of CPI's Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao from Kothagudem assembly constituency.
The petition, filed by a voter, Nandu Lal Agarwal, alleged that Rao had suppressed his wife's name in his election affidavit violating Rule 4A of the Conduct of Election Rules and his nomination papers were improperly accepted by the Returning Officer. He also claimed that Rao's election affidavit was allegedly notarised by an advocate whose notary certificate had expired.
Arguing for Rao, senior counsel G Vidya Sagar said that as per the modified form there was no need to mention the names of spouse and dependents.
He also pointed out even the complainant could not dispute that his two children are not dependents.
Justice K Lakshman ruled that Rao had substantially complied with disclosure norms by providing his wife's PAN, income details and assets even if her name was omitted. The notary's renewal application was pending when the affidavit was signed, and the subsequent validation by authorities regularised the document, the judge said.
The judge said that the electorate's mandate should not be overturned on technicalities without concrete evidence of malpractice and dismissed the petition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Reforms under PV were 'by stealth', not gradualism: Ahluwalia
New Delhi: Former Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said the 1991 economic reforms under former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao were characterised more "by stealth" than by a clearly signalled gradualist approach, noting that neither Rao nor then finance minister Manmohan Singh were proponents of "big-bang" changes. Speaking at the launch of author David C Engerman's 'Apostles of Development: Six Economists and the World They Made,' Ahluwalia placed both Rao and Manmohan in the category of "gradualists" – as he did himself. However, he distinguished between two types of gradual change what he called "gradualism" and "reform by stealth." "I don't know if I coined the phrase, 'reform by stealth', but I certainly used it and probably earlier than most. I used it to describe Rao's approach to bringing about reforms. Manmohan Singh was the architect, he actually knew what to do. "But, as he himself often said, he couldn't have done it without the prime minister's support. Neither Rao nor Manmohan Singh was a great believer in big-bang reforms. They were both, in that sense, gradualists," said Ahluwalia. The 81-year-old economist, who was a key member of the team that implemented the 1991 reforms, used an analogy from the shipping industry to explain his point. "One of my friends who was in shipping once said: the turning circle of a small boat is much smaller than a big liner. You have to accept that if you're steering a very large vessel, it's going to take time to turn. "In India, 'reform by stealth' really meant we are going to change direction, but we're not going to openly say so," he said, adding that this often meant reform announcements were made without clear timelines or commitments, in contrast to a more predictable and planned path. Ahluwalia explained that under a genuine gradualist approach, policymakers would communicate the trajectory clearly for example, announcing a phased reduction of tariffs over a 10-year horizon. This, he said, enables businesses and stakeholders to plan accordingly. However, he claimed, the approach that India took was different from gradualism and was "opportunistic." "Our approach was: our duties are too high, we are reducing them, and we must do more. But you do not tell them how much more, or when you'll get to what — and that was really an opportunistic approach... I call that 'reform by stealth' you are going to reform, but you're going to do it when you can, and that's different from my view of gradualism," he added. During the discussion, which also had former ambassador Shivshankar Menon as one of the panellists, Ahluwalia also emphasised the need for greater awareness of the economic challenges faced by neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Ahluwalia, who claimed that we are quite aware of what's happening in other developing regions Africa, Latin America and East Asia –, lamented the lack of consistent media coverage or public discourse in India about "what's happening next door." "You would think most people in India would be very aware of the economic problems of Pakistan, or why Bangladesh has faced repeated IMF interventions. But apart from reporting on an IMF programme — which many journalists seem to reflexively consider newsworthy — there is little coverage of what's happening in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Myanmar," he said. Ahluwalia highlighted that while India has also faced economic challenges in the past, particularly in 1980 and again during the 1991 balance of payments crisis, it has not had to seek IMF assistance since. "I recall in the 1991 crisis, we told the IMF in 1993, 'Thank you, the crisis is over.' As we walked out, we were saying it's really good not to be under IMF supervision. One of my colleagues said, 'Don't worry, you'll be back in 10 years,' and I replied, 'I'll take a bet with you.' The truth is, from 1991 to now, we haven't had to go back," he said. He credited successive governments for maintaining prudent economic management and stressed that India's relatively stable record stands in contrast to its neighbours, who have had to repeatedly turn to the IMF. "The best way of learning why we didn't have to go back is to find out why others did," he added. 'Apostles of Development,' published by Penguin Random House India, uncovers the pivotal role six economists Amartya Sen, Manmohan Singh, Mahbub ul Haq, Jagdish Bhagwati, Rehman Sobhan, and Lal Jayawardena played in shaping global poverty solutions after the Second World War.
The Print
5 hours ago
- The Print
Restoration of Article 370, statehood to J&K necessary for peace in region: CPI-M
Addressing the convention, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said, 'CPI(M) has been firm that restoration of Article 370, statehood and other legitimate constitutional rights will pave the way for building confidence among the people of J&K, which is quite necessary for peace in the area.' He lauded the role of Kashmiris for holding spontaneous protests over the killings of tourists at Pahalgam on April 22. Srinagar, Jun 11 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Wednesday said restoration of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will pave the way for building confidence among people of the Union Territory, asserting that it is 'necessary' for peace in the region. 'Unity among the people is necessary to thwart the forces of disharmony in the society,' Baby said. The CPI(M) general secretary said post Pahalgam attack, the party demanded for summoning of a special session of Parliament to discuss the situation arising after the Pahalgam terror attack, 'but the government seems to be reluctant to face the Opposition'. CPI(M) MP Amra Ram, while addressing the convention, said that the party 'vehemently favoured the restoration of unceremoniously snatched democratic rights of the people of J&K on August 5, 2019 even without consulting the stakeholders'. 'For the first time in the constitutional history of India, a state was bifurcated and downgraded into two separate Union territories which is against the democratic spirit and ethos of the country,' he said. MP Bikash Ranjan Battacharya said Kashmiryat is a symbol of unity and brotherhood which withstood its testimony during 1947 partition when whole of the sub-continent was engulfed in bloodshed. 'This unity needs to be strengthened in the larger interest of the people of J&K,' he said. Senior CPI(M) leader from J&K and Kulgam MLA, M Y Tarigami, said during the 'testing times' in the aftermath of August 5, 2019, the CPI(M) vehemently opposed the constitutional 'onslaught' of abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading of the state into two separate Union territories. 'It was a direct assault on the bond of J&K with the Union of India. This is the sole example in the country where the boundaries of the state were changed by imposing curfew, restrictions on media/press, and detaining of the political leadership and activists,' he said. He said the government of India must respect the mandate of J&K people and stick to its commitment given on the floor of the Parliament for restoration of full statehood. Meanwhile, a delegation of CPI(M) leaders, currently on a visit to J&K, called on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah at his residence. During the meeting, discussions were held on the prevailing situation in J&K, with both sides emphasizing the importance of peace, dialogue, and safeguarding the democratic and constitutional rights of the people, the NC said in a statement. The party said it was unanimously felt that the people aspired for lasting peace, dignity, and stability. PTI SSB KVK KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
SIB ex-chief: Did political snooping, destroyed hard discs
Hyderabad: In a major development in the high-profile phone tapping case, former chief of Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), T Prabhakar Rao, admitted that a special operations team (SOT) within the SIB was engaged in political surveillance during his tenure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rao maintained senior police officials were fully aware of these activities and did not name any political leader as being involved. During a nine-hour-long interrogation on Wednesday, Prabhakar Rao claimed he continued as SIB chief after his retirement in June 2020 only at the insistence of top police officials. He presented a two-page recommendation letter from a senior officer backing his reappointment. Investigators focused on the formation of the SOT in 2018, which Prabhakar Rao confirmed was tasked with political surveillance—far outside SIB's original anti-Naxal mandate. Prabhakar Rao asserted that he acted under the instructions of senior police officials above him in the chain of command. He also admitted that hard disks containing phone tapping data were destroyed in 2023, well before the mandated retention period and just ahead of the Congress coming to power. He remained evasive on whether the decision was made under instructions from higher-ups in the police department, but made no mention of any involvement by the political leadership. The case, registered at Punjagutta police station on March 10, 2024, has raised serious questions about privacy and the alleged misuse of state intelligence for political purposes. Prabhakar Rao had fled to the United States via Chennai shortly after the probe began. However, on June 8, following a Supreme Court order restoring his passport and granting him protection from arrest, he returned to India and appeared before investigators on June 9. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In his latest round of questioning on Wednesday, Rao appeared prepared, with responses closely aligning with earlier court submissions. He remained evasive when asked to name individuals who were under surveillance, often citing lack of memory or knowledge. He said the SOT operated under deputy superintendent of police G Praneeth Rao's supervision and that sensitive data was destroyed before its due date. No electronic devices were seized from him so far, but investigators are considering seeking written responses to clarify further points. Officials plan to question Praneeth Rao again on June 13, while Prabhakar Rao will face another round of questioning on June 14.
