SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
With the direction of the Election Commision over recognising DK Aruna as an MLA, a peculiar situation has arisen. Now Aruna is a Congress MLA or a BJP MLA?
In the 2018 Assembly elections, Aruna contested as a Congress candidate. After her defeat in the election Aruna joined the BJP. The Election Commission has directed the Telangana government to implement the orders of the Telangana High Court declaring Aruna as the elected candidate from Gadwal constituency in the 2018 Assembly elections.
Many doubts are arising in this issue. After declaring Aruna as an MLA, if she continues in the BJP, the question is whether anti-defection law will be applicable or not?
Technically, Aruna is a Congress MLA since she contested as a Congress candidate.
However, after joining the BJP she became the vice-president of the party. Aruna did not join the BJP as an MLA.
After her joining, the High Court declared her to be the elected candidate. When Aruna did not defect as an MLA how is the anti-defection law applicable to her? There was speculation recently that Aruna may return to the Congress. After declaring as an MLA will Aruna continue in the BJP or join the Congress? After declaring Aruna as an MLA how will the Congress react? This is creating interest in political circles.
Meanwhile, one month back the Telangana High Court declared that the election of Vanama Venkateswar Rao as an MLA from Kothagudem is nul and void and also declared Jalagam.Venkat Rao as being the elected candidate. But the Election Commission did not act in this issue like in the Aruna issue. It is very clear that the Election Commission acted immediately on Aruna issue because she is in the BJP.
In the Vanama case, the BRS party also did not react because Vanama joined the BRS after being elected as an MLA from the Congress. The defeated candidate in Kothagudem Assembly constituency is BRS candidate Jalagam Venkat Rao.
The political observers feel that the action of the Election Commission on these two issues shows that it is in the hands of the Central government.
