Plea filed to declare MP Aruna’s election void; HC reserves orders

Hyderabad: The HC on Wednesday reserved orders in an election petition challenging the victory of BJP MP DK Aruna @ Arundhati from the Mahbubnagar Parliamentary constituency. The case was heard by a single bench of Justice Alishetty Laxmi Narayana. The petition was filed by Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy (Congress party) of Padmavati Colony, Mahbubnagar, seeking Aruna’s election be declared null and void under Section 100 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and that he be declared the duly elected candidate.

The petitioner alleged that Aruna violated the model code of conduct by visiting an orphanage in Appannapally village on May 4, 2024, under the pretext of charity and birthday celebrations. He contended that she distributed gifts to children, staff, and voters in the orphanage with intent of influencing them, which, he claimed, amounts to corrupt electoral practice.

He alleged that the returning officer failed to disclose criminal cases pending against Aruna, and that discrepancies in her name, shown as DK Aruna in some places and DK Aruna Arundhati in others, amounted to misrepresentation, misleading voters during the election process. Appearing for Aruna, advocate Pujari Srilekha argued that the allegations were vague, baseless and politically motivated. She pointed out that Aruna’s name is consistently reflected as DK Aruna Arundhati in her SSC certificate as well as the voter list; no objections regarding her name were raised at the scrutiny stage.

Regarding the orphanage visit, Srilekha submitted that the petitioner relied solely on video evidence but failed to furnish the mandatory Section 65B certificate under the Indian Evidence Act, which is required to validate electronic records. She dismissed allegations concerning the occupation of an MLA quarter, stating that Aruna, during her tenure as MLA, had paid the rent and later handed over the premises to the authorities.