Bengaluru, Sep 1: In a major development, the Karnataka High Court on Friday disqualified JD-S Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. A bench, headed by Justice K. Natarajan, declared that the election of Revanna null and void.
The decision came on a petitions contesting his election, filed by advocate G. Devarajegowda, and the BJP’s defeated candidate in 2019 parliamentary elections A. Manju, alleging that Revanna did not provide the details of full assets to the Election Commission.
The bench has also directed the Election Commission to initiate action against Revvanna in connection with election malpractice, as per the Conduct of Election Process Rules.
However, the court has rejected the petition by Manju seeking declaration by the court that he is the winner.
The court has refused his submission following allegations of malpractice in elections being also proved against him. It has also directed the Registrar of the High Court to issue notices to JD-S MLA and Deve Gowda’s son H.D. Revanna, and JD-S MLC and Revanna’s son Suraj Revanna in connection with election malpractice.
Manju had initially submitted a petition in this regard. However, the High Court had quashed the petition and held that it was a wrongful submission. It had stated that even as sufficient time was given for proper submission, the petitioner had failed to do it. Devarajegowda had approached the Supreme Court questioning the order of the High Court in this regard, and the apex court had directed the High Court to take up the petition. Devaraje Gowda had submitted that Revanna had amassed illegal properties, alleging that Revanna had wealth of Rs 23 crore at the age of 15 years. These facts are not mentioned in his submission to the IT Department, he said, claiming that the JD-S leader had also submitted false information to the EC and also encroached on government land and benami property.
Deve Gowda had given away Hassan Lok Sabha constituency which he represented for a long time to his grandson, who subsequently became the only JD-S candidate to win in the 2019 elections. Manju, welcoming the judgement, stated that Revbanna had given wrong information in form number 26 and it was proved in the court.
Reacting to the development, Prajwal’s father H D Revanna said he is yet to get details about the court’s decision, and maintained that it is the duty of everyone to respect the courts and abide by the law. “I don’t know about it (court order), I have got to know about it from you (media). Everyone will have to bow down to the law. I have not seen the judgment copy. I will know as to why it was done and will react,” he said. (IANS)
