The BJP has fielded former YSRCP leader Kothapalli Geetha from the Araku seat for the Lok Sabha elections. Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, Araku is the only one reserved for Scheduled Tribes. She won the seat in 2014 representing Andhra Pradesh's ruling party YSRCP.
Here are five facts about Kothapalli Geetha:
1) Born on February 4, 1971, in Thimmapuram village of Andhra Pradesh, Kothapalli Geetha is a seasoned politician. She completed her BA in 1989 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 1990 from Andhra University. She also holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Sociology. Ms Geetha belongs to the Valmiki tribe.
2) A former Deputy Collector, she resigned in 2010 and entered politics. In 2014, she won the Araku seat for Jagan Reddy's YSRCP. She left YSRCP and founded the Jana Jagruthi Party in 2018.
3) In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Jana Jagruthi Party contested a few assembly and Lok Sabha seats but failed to register even a single victory. Ms Geetha, who contested from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat, received a meagre 1158 votes.
4) In 2019, Kothapalli Geetha joined the BJP. Three years later, a CBI Special Court convicted Ms Geetha and her husband in a bank fraud case and sentenced them to five years in jail. Earlier this month, the Telangana High Court suspended her conviction, clearing the path for her contesting in the elections.
5) In January 2024, the Andhra Pradesh government said that Ms Geetha does not belong to the Scheduled Tribe. The controversy first surfaced after her election to the Lok Sabha in 2014. The then collector of East Godavari had issued a certificate that she belonged to the Valmiki tribe. E Anjaneyulu, the president of the Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Employees, appealed to the government to challenge the collector's order. In January 2024, the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed the government order cancelling the caste certificate that recognised her as a person from a Scheduled Tribe.
Featured Video Of The Day
13 Indians Among 16 Crew Members Missing After Oil Tanker Capsizes Off Oman
BJP Huddle In UP Today To Review By-Election Preps After Big Poll Setback "Degrees Won't Do, Open A Puncture Repair Shop": BJP Madhya Pradesh MLA 3 Months After Retirement, Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge Joins BJP Puja Khedkar's Disability Document Has Factory Address, Ration Card Proof 25,000 Aspirants For Airport Jobs Paying Rs 22,000: A Mumbai Stampede Scare Prank Goes Wrong: Woman Falls From 3rd Floor In Mumbai Building, Dies JoSAA Counselling 2024: All You Need To Know About NIT+System US Singer's "Rehab" Post After "Drunk" Performance Of National Anthem Suzuki Announces Technology Strategy For The Next 10 Years Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.