AP High Court gave a shock to Mandapeta YCP candidate Thota Trimurthulu in dalits tonsure case. The High Court refused to stay the 18 months jail sentence given by Visakha SC and ST Court.
In this 28 years old case, the court giving jail sentence to Trimurthulu and two others, postponed the same for a month so as to approach the High Court. Three of them filed a petition in the High Court challenging Visakha Court verdict and also to stay the jail sentence.
The High Court, which heard the petition on Tuesday, refused to stay the jail sentence. The case was adjourned to May 1 for further hearing. As Trimurthulu failed to get a stay order from the High Court, now pressure is mounting on the YCP leadership for change of the candidate from Mnadapet.
Already, the ruling party is attracting the ire of the dalits as it has been fielding those who are named in cases harassing dalits. Party MLC Ananth Babu, who is facing allegations of killing his dalith driver, is contesting from Rampachhodavaram constituency, in the tribal belt.
Though the jail sentence is below two years, there is no legal hurdle for Trimurthulu to contest in the elections, as it is a SC and ST atrocity case, the ruling party is likely to consider the political impact of fielding him as candidate even after he was sentenced.
As only two more days left for filing nomination papers, the YCP leadership is forced to take a decision on his candidature immediately. According to sources, the party leadership has already started consultation on this issue.
If Thota Trimurthulu is also continued as a candidate, YCP leadership fears that it will provide a lot of ammunition to the opposition parties to provoke Dalits against the ruling party. As they are a key vote bank for the party, it would be a great risk.
In this regard, former minister and Rajya Sabha member Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose name is going round in YCP circles to replace Thota Trimurthulu from Mandapeta.
