BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha challenges election of Jubilee Hills MLA Naveen Yadav in Telangana HC

Hyderabad: The election of Jubilee Hills MLA Naveen Yadav has been challenged in the Telangana High Court.

The petitioner has alleged suppression of criminal antecedents and corrupt practices during the recent by-election campaign.

Petition filed by Runner-Up Candidate

The petition was filed on Monday by Maganti Sunitha Gopinath, wife of late Maganti Gopinath, who contested the Jubilee Hills by-poll on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ticket. She has prayed for declaring the election of Naveen Yadav as null and void.

Alleged non-disclosure of criminal cases

According to the petitioner, the elected candidate failed to disclose details of seven criminal cases allegedly pending against him by publishing the information in newspapers and television channels during the campaign, as mandated by law.

She pointed out that the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, through a memorandum dated October 14, 2025, had directed all candidates contesting the Jubilee Hills by-poll to publicise their criminal antecedents in compliance with Supreme Court directions. The petitioner alleged that this requirement was not followed by the winning candidate.

By-Poll results

The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election was held on November 11, 2025. Mrs. Sunitha secured 74,259 votes, while Mr. Naveen Yadav won with 98,988 votes. The petitioner argued that if the election is set aside, she, being the runner-up, should be declared elected.

Reliance on Supreme Court Judgment

In support of her plea, the petitioner relied on a Supreme Court ruling in Kisan Shankar Kathore vs Arun Dattareya Sawant (2014), which held that voters have a fundamental right to know the criminal antecedents of candidates and that such information must be widely disseminated through print and electronic media.

Alleged Model Code of Conduct violations

The petition also raises allegations of violations of the Model Code of Conduct during the campaign. It claims that A. Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana and a star campaigner for the Congress, was seen brandishing a sword during a road show at Rahmat Nagar while seeking votes for Mr. Naveen Yadav.

It further alleges that the Chief Minister made a provocative and communally charged speech during the road show, amounting to an impermissible appeal to religion in violation of electoral laws.

Corrupt practices alleged

Sunitha contended that the alleged acts amounted to corrupt practices under Sections 123 and 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, both for non-disclosure of criminal antecedents and for violations during the campaign period.

Relief sought and status of case

The petitioner has sought directions to the Election Commission of India to declare the election of Naveen Yadav invalid and to declare her as the duly elected MLA from Jubilee Hills.

The election petition is presently at the scrutiny stage and is expected to be numbered shortly before being listed for hearing before a single-judge bench of the Telangana High Court.