K’taka HC allows Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to file counter petition against A Manju

Controversy

The HC is hearing a case challenging the validity of Prajwal’s status as MP as he had allegedly won the election by filing an erroneous affidavit.

TNM Staff

In a tit-for-tat move, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former PM and JD(S) patriarch HD Devegowda, will file a counter petition against former Congress minister A Manju stating that he is also unfit to be elected. The Karnataka HC on Monday gave the third-generation JD(S) leader two weeks’ time to submit his claim against A Manju who had contested against him on a BJP ticket. The issue came up as a single-judge bench led by Justice Michael D’Cunha was hearing a case filed by Manju which claims that Prajwal be stripped off his position as MP as he had contested the elections filing a wrong affidavit. The case is based on two petitions— one filed by A Manju and another filed by a vote. Both the petitions claim that Prajwal had not declared his assets in the requisite format and had even falsified facts while listing his assets including his bank account balances. The matter will be heard again on October 18 as the court rejected a prayer by Prajwal’s lawyer seeking four weeks’ time to file their claim. The Hindu reported that Prajwal’s legal counsel said he will file a plea under Section 97 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to point out that even Manju cannot be declared as elected in case Prajwal’s affidavit is found to be inappropriate. Section 97 states—  “when in an election petition a declaration that any candidate other than the returned candidate has been duly elected is claimed, the returned candidate or any other party may give evidence to prove that the election of such candidate would have been void if he had been the returned candidate....” Incidentally, Prajwal was the only winning candidate for the JD(S) in Lok Sabha 2019 from the Gowda fiefdom of Hassan which has been a stronghold of his grandfather for decades now. Even his father HD Revanna is a veteran MLA from the district. 

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