Hyderabad : The Telangana High Court is currently embroiled in a case of significant consequence, revolving around the electoral eligibility of non-resident Indians (NRIs). The focus of attention is on the Palakurthy Assembly constituency, where concerns have been raised regarding the eligibility of Mamidala Yashaswini, the Congress nominee, to vote and contest elections due to her NRI status.
At the heart of the matter is a petition challenging Yashaswini’s eligibility, primarily stemming from her extended absence from India. The petitioner argues that the Congress candidate failed to reside in India for more than five months over the last five years, thereby violating the residency requirements for both voters and election candidates.
A bench led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Shravan Kumar is presiding over the case. The bench has instructed the petitioner to obtain details of the revised electoral list draft, the publication date of the final electoral list, and adjourned the matter until November 15.
“The petitioner contends that Yashaswini is an NRI and did not surrender her elector’s photo identity card to the election authorities by virtue of being an NRI. Petitioner’s counsel informed the bench that the petitioner complained to the Election Commission of India, requesting it to delete her name from the voters’ list,” as reported by The Hindu.
Chief Justice Alok Aradhe noted that the petitioner approached the High Court after receiving no response from the election authorities to his complaint. The case holds broader implications for electoral norms and the eligibility criteria for NRIs participating in the democratic process.
