HYDERABAD: Telangana High Court on Tuesday held that election petitions cannot be entertained merely on the ground that a candidate allegedly lacked the qualifications to hold office.While dismissing an election petition challenging the election of BRS working president KT Rama Rao to Sircilla Assembly constituency, Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao held that to file an election petition against a winning candidate, specific grounds prescribed under election law must be established, and only an elector of the concerned constituency or a candidate who contested the election can file such a petition.The petitioner KK Mahender Reddy, who contested on behalf of the Congress party, alleged that KTR had failed to disclose certain facts in his nomination affidavit and therefore his election should be declared void.The petitioner claimed that a building located in Jubilee Hills had not been disclosed as KTR’s property. He also alleged that liabilities amounting to Rs 10.50 lakh and Rs 88.15 lakh were not properly reflected, and questioned how such amounts could have been paid without sufficient declared assets.Further allegations were also made regarding property purchases in the name of KTR’s son, stating that the transactions were not properly reflected in the income and asset disclosures submitted by the candidate. The petitioner contended that details of lands, houses and other properties acquired by family members had not been disclosed.The petitioner also alleged that KTR had not correctly shown his election campaign expenditure and had violated several provisions of the Representation of the People Act.High Court, however, dismissed the election petitions filed against KTR, citing Supreme Court’s guidelines regarding election petitions filed against elected legislators.
