Deve Gowda's grandson and JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna's election from Hassan declared null and void by Karnataka HC
Karnataka High Court on Friday declared null and void the election of Prajwal Revanna (33) as member of the Lok Sabha from Hassan constituency on charges of suppressing his real assets and income while filing the affidavit before the poll authorities.
The seat went to polls in May 2019 in which Revanna contested as the JDS candidate and won, polling 6.76 lakh votes. His candidature was backed by the Congress as well, as both JDS and Congress were partners in a coalition regime in Karnataka, back then.
He is expected to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
Justice K Natarajan delivered the judgment while partly allowing an election petition filed by former minister A Manju, who had contested as the BJP candidate, as well as another from G Devaraje Gowda, a local voter. The court, however, did not accept Manju’s plea that he be declared elected as he had secured the second largest votes (5.35 lakh), holding the view that he too had indulged in corrupt practices.
Manju alleged Revanna had obtained the success in the election with the “concealment of material which would have been germane in determining the opinion of the electorate,” while challenging his election under the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
Manju, who was with the Congress and BJP before, joined the JDS in March this year, and won the May 10 assembly polls on a JDS ticket from Arakalgud constituency in Hassan.
The court has also ordered notice to the MP's father HD Revanna and Manju asking why they too should not be tried for disqualification for committing a similar offence.
