In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court declared the election of JD(S) Member of Parliament from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, null and void. Prajwal Revanna, who is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, had won the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka in 2019 as the only candidate from his party.
The judgment was the result of two petitions filed by G Devarajegowda, a voter from the constituency, and A Manju, who was the BJP’s defeated candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The petitions alleged that Prajwal Revanna had engaged in election malpractice and failed to declare his assets to the Election Commission.
Justice K Natarajan, in his judgment, partially allowed the petitions and directed the Election Commission of India to take action against Prajwal Revanna for election malpractice under the Conduct of Election Process Rules.
While the court declared Prajwal Revanna’s election as null and void, it also dismissed the petitioners’ request to declare A Manju as the winning candidate, citing his own involvement in corrupt practices.
The Karnataka High Court also ordered the Election Commission to take action against Prajwal Revanna’s father, H D Revanna (MLA and former minister), and brother, Suraj Revanna (MLC), for their alleged involvement in election malpractice.
The petitions presented various examples of malpractices and non-disclosure of assets by Prajwal Revanna. Notably, the Chennambika Conventional Hall, which was reportedly valued at around ₹5 crore, was declared as worth only ₹14 lakh by Prajwal Revanna. Additionally, discrepancies in bank account balances and allegations of income tax fraud were raised in the petitions.
This ruling has significant implications for the political landscape in Karnataka and raises questions about the integrity of election processes.
Sources By Agencies
