HYDERABAD: Justice K Laxman of the Telangana High Court on Monday rejected an Interlocutory Application (IA) filed by Thungathuruthy MLA Gadari Kishore Kumar seeking directions to declare the election petition against him as invalid.
Justice Laxman also instructed the petitioner and the respondents to provide lists of witnesses for examination and cross-examination and set September 4, 2023, as the next date of hearing. The election petition was filed by Addanki Dayakar, challenging the legitimacy of Gadari Kishore Kumar’s election and requesting the court to declare him as the rightful victor.
The petitioner also urged the court to instruct the returning officer or joint collector to verify the paper trail of votes, specifically those recorded by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) of the Thungathuruthy Assembly constituency in Suryapet district.
In response, Kishore Kumar submitted the IA. Following an examination of the details presented in the IA, Justice Laxman dismissed the application.