Judgment

UNTWALIA , J. :- These are two appeals under Section 116A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 - hereinafter referred to as the Act, arising out of an election dispute concerning the election held on the 5th and 8th of March, 1972 to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Purchur Constituency. Six persons had filed nominations for standing as candidates at the election. Four of them, who were impleaded as respondents 2 to 5 in the election petition, withdrew in time and did not contest the election. The only two persons left in the field for a straigth contest were the two appellants in the two appeals namely M. Narayana Rao. appellant in Civil Appeal No.583 of 1974-hereinafter referred to as Rao or respondent No. 1 (for brevity, the respondent ) according to his position in the election petition and G. Venkata Reddy, appellant in Civil Appeal 686 of 1974-hereinafter to be called Reddy or the election petitioner. Rao was declared elected on the 11th March, 1972 by a margin of a few hundred votes. Reddy challenged his election by filing an election petition under the Act on several grounds of corrupt practices said to have been committted by or on behalf of Ra