P RAJU Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The issue for consideration in all these writ petitions being the same, they are amenable to disposal by way this common order.

(2.) The petitioners in these cases contested in the elections held in 2013 and 2014 to various posts falling within the purview of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (for brevity, 'the Act of 1994'). Some of them contested for the posts of Sarpanches/Ward Members of Gram Panchayats in the elections held on 23.07.2013, 27.07.2013 and 31.07.2013 while others were in the fray for the posts of members of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs)/Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) in the elections held in April, 2014.

(3.) While so, the Telangana State Election Commission (for brevity, 'the Commission') disqualified all the petitioners under Section 19-B of the Act of 1994, which was applicable to the State of Telangana after its formation on 02.06.2014. By way of these writ petitions, they assail the validity of the disqualification visited upon them.