The Karnataka High Court has disqualified Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] MP Prajwal Revanna citing irregularities in his election affidavit on Friday, September 1. The court was hearing a petition filed against Prajwal in 2019 regarding the submission of fake documents during the nomination process.
In his order, Justice K Natarajan said that the election of Prajwal announced as a returned candidate dated May 23, 2019, was declared null and void. According to Livelaw, the court also rejected the prayer to declare A Manju (one of the petitioners) as the returned candidate, in view of the findings that he himself is involved in corrupt practices. The court also ordered the issue of notices to Prajwal's father HD Revanna and his brother, Suraj for corrupt practices during elections.
Prajwal is likely to contest the order in the Supreme Court.
A Manju is presently MLA of Arkalgud in Hassan after winning the 2023 Assembly elections. Manju had contested earlier in the Parliamentary elections as the BJP candidate against Prajwal and lost. Manju jumped from BJP to JD(S) before the elections and won from the Arkalgud Assembly segment.
The allegations made against Prajwal Revanna were regarding the non-declaration of assets in his election affidavit. Among the allegations made against him were possessing benami property, not declaring 262 acres of land he owned in Nelamangala, situated on the outskirts of Bengaluru, a site gifted by his father HD Revanna and also constructing a building at a cost of Rs 5 crore. Revanna is also accused of enabling proxy voting during the elections and also assisting Prajwal in his capacity as Hassan district-in-charge Minister by diverting funds.
According to India Today, Shivananda, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, said, “He has been disqualified based on corrupt practices. He suppressed his income amounting to over Rs 24 crore while filing the affidavit during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.” Prajwal is the lone JD(S) MP representing the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency and the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and son of former Karnataka minister HD Revanna.