The Telangana High Court delivered a significant blow to former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Chennamaneni Ramesh on Monday, fining him ₹25 lakh for contesting elections using forged documents while retaining his German citizenship. The ruling, handed down in a case brought by Congress leader Aadi Srinivas, the current MLA for the Vemulawada constituency, highlights a major legal setback for the multi-term legislator.
The court’s decision stems from Srinivas’s petition challenging Ramesh’s eligibility to contest elections. Evidence presented indicated Ramesh’s continued German citizenship, a fact he allegedly concealed while vying for political office. The court explicitly noted Ramesh’s failure to provide any official documentation from the German embassy confirming renunciation of his German citizenship, further strengthening the case against him. The penalty includes a ₹25 lakh payment to Srinivas and an additional ₹5 lakh to the Legal Service Authority, as announced by Srinivas himself on social media.
Ramesh’s political career has spanned four terms representing the Vemulawada constituency, three of which were contested under the BRS banner. The pending citizenship case cost him a BRS ticket in the recent 2023 elections, leading him to accept an advisory role within the previous K Chandrashekar Rao government. This court ruling adds another layer of complexity to his already compromised political standing.
This legal development unfolds against a backdrop of heightened political tension between the BRS and Congress parties in Telangana. The Telangana Assembly witnessed heated exchanges between the two parties on Monday, underscoring the deep-seated divisions. BRS Working President KT Rama Rao took a swipe at the Congress, accusing them of hypocrisy and highlighting the perceived double standards within the party. He specifically mentioned Rahul Gandhi’s public statements regarding Adani and the Prime Minister, contrasting them with alleged close ties between Adani and Congress leader Revanth Reddy. The tensions between the parties were further ignited last week by the house arrest of several BRS leaders, including Kalvakuntla Kavitha and Harish Rao, to prevent their participation in a protest following the arrest of other BRS members. The ongoing conflict is likely to continue shaping the political landscape of Telangana in the coming months. The court’s decision against Ramesh adds fuel to this already volatile situation, offering a potent symbol of accountability within the political sphere.
