Election of Telangana’s Utnoor ZPTC member declared null and void

Panchayat Raj Election Tribunal finds she had three children after cut off date

Utnoor Revenue Divisional Officer T. Vinod Kumar, who is also Chairman of the Election Tribunal, on Friday declared the election of Utnoor Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency member Charulatha Rathod of Congress party as null and void having found her to have violated Section 21 (3) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. The Act disqualifies elected representatives of local bodies if they have three children after the cut off date of May 31, 1995 when the Act came into force.

An objection complaint was filed before the Election Officer by BJP candidate Mesram Laxmi, who was defeated by Ms. Rathod in the May, 2019 election. She had pointed out the violation made by the winner.

In his order the RDO stated that the ZPTC member had failed to prove that she gave birth to her three children before the cut off date. Ms. Rathod had supported the TRS candidate in the election to Adilabad Zilla Parishad Chairman subsequently in June.