The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday declared the election of TDP candidate Suman Rathod from Khanapur Assembly segment in Adilabad district as 'invalid' as she did not belong to a Scheduled Tribe.
The court, however, gave Suman Rathod 6 weeks to file a petition against the ruling before its orders are implemented.
The court had earlier ordered the government to produce the records and file a counter on the caste certificate of Suman Rathod, following complaints questioning her social status.
Following the directions of the court, the government had conducted a probe on her caste and submitted a report.
The report states that Rathod was a native of Maharashtra, and that Lambadas in that state were treated as Backward Classes.
However, the High Court has given her a deadline of 6 weeks to implement the orders.
Reacting to the court judgement, Rathod said she would move a petition in the Supreme Court seeking justice.
The High Court, had on 23 October 2009, cancelled the caste certificate that the Adilabad district Collector gave Suman Rathod.
The collector had ruled that the MLA could be termed as 'belonging to a Backward Class' and not to a Scheduled Tribe, since she Lambadas from Maharashtra are treated as BCs in that state.
Suman Rathod had argued that she had married as a child, and had suffered the same disadvantages as that of the local Scheduled Tribes, and that she must be treated as such.