Oath-Taking Not As Easy As 1-2-3: 2-child norm queers pitch for 3 corporator-elects

Adarsh Nagar: Even before they could take oath, the newly elected corporators are facing legal issues over violations of the two-child norm.

As many as three elected corporators including two from BJP and one from AIMIM are facing the complaints from their nearest rivals, who have challenged their election. The newly elected corporators are yet to take oath as the existing term of the GHMC body was till February 10.

The State Election Commission has fixed February 11 as the date for the oath. However, some of the corporators are facing complaints of having more than two children, which is against the rule as per the Municipal Act.

Under Section 21B of the GHMC Act, persons with more than two children cannot contest the Municipal elections.

Former Corporator who lost the elections recently, Kaja Suryanarayana filed a petition in the court alleging that Deringula Venkatesh's election from Jubilee Hills division is invalid. He alleged that apart from violating the two children norm, the BJP candidate had given a false affidavit and misled the Election Commission.

The Election Tribunal which took the case, ordered Venkatesh to appear on February 18. He had also approached the High Court to stop Venkatesh from taking oath.

The High Court asked the Tribunal Court in City Civil Court to complete the inquiry within three months. Suryanarayana alleged that the birth certificate of fourth daughter of Venkatesh was forged.

He said he would lodge a complaint with the police to register a criminal case against the corporator. The first among the corporators against whom the cases were registered was Rakesh Jaiswal of BJP from Jambagh Municipal Division.

The AIMIM contestant Jadala Ravinder lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Jaiswal had three children. On the direction of the court, the officials had served notice to the BJP corporator.

In another case, the TRS candidate from Erragadda K Pallavi lodged a complaint against the AIMIM corporator Shaheen Begum alleging that she had three children. It may be mentioned here that Shaheen Begum has become a corporator for the second time.

Even in the past there were complaints of corporators having more than two children and the Courts had disqualified those who violated the norm. During the last of GHMC, an MIM corporator was disqualified after a legal battle and his nearest rival belonging to BJP was declared elected.