Kothapalli Geetha
{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kothapalli Geetha
| image =
| office = Member of Parliament for Araku
| constituency = Araku
| termstart = 16 May 2014
| termend = 23 May 2019
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|2|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Thimmapuram, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
| residence =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| term =
| education = Bachelor of Arts (1989), Bachelor of Education (1990)
| predecessor = Kishore Chandra Deo
| successor = Goddeti Madhavi
| party = Bhartiya Janata Party{{cite tweet|number=1140926221166899200|user=Geethak_MP|title=Heartfelt regards to Hon’ble @AmitShah ji & @rammadhavbjp ji for heartfully inviting me & giving me an opportunity… |date=18 June 2019}}
| otherparty = YSR Congress Party (before 2019), Independent
| spouse = Paruchuri Rama Koteshwar Rao
| children = 2
| website =
| footnotes =
| date = |
| year = |
| source =
}}
Kothapalli Geetha (born 4 February 1971) is an Indian Politician and a former member of parliament from Araku (Lok Sabha constituency), Andhra Pradesh. She won the 2014 Indian general election from Araku Constituency, a reserved Scheduled Tribe (ST) seat representing Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP).{{Cite web|date=2019-03-17|title=Lok Sabha election 2019: Araku lone ST constituency in Andhra Pradesh|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lok-sabha-election-2019-araku-lone-st-constituency-in-andhra-pradesh/story-3F8iXAeXyEnvN8U3l7KapL.html|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-02-17|title=Kothapalli Geetha releases party manifesto, first list {{!}} Vijayawada News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/geetha-releases-party-manifesto-first-list/articleshow/68471271.cms|access-date=2021-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217145041/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/geetha-releases-party-manifesto-first-list/articleshow/68471271.cms|archive-date=17 February 2021}} She started the Jana Jagruti Party in 2018 but later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019.{{cite web |url=http://www.telugusquare.com/ysrcp-demands-geethas-resignation/ |title=YSRCP demands Geetha's resignation - TeluguSquare.com |website=www.telugusquare.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316075320/http://www.telugusquare.com/ysrcp-demands-geethas-resignation/ |archive-date=2016-03-16}}
Early life and education
Geetha was born in Thimmapuram, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. She was born to Kothapalli Jacob and Lizzamma. She married P. R. Koteswara Rao on 28 August 1989. She has a son and a daughter.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-24 |title=Geetha Kothapalli {{!}} National Portal of India |url=http://india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/geetha-kothapalli |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824135140/http://india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/geetha-kothapalli |archive-date=24 August 2018 |access-date=2021-02-17}} Geetha completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1989, Bachelor of Education in 1990, both from Andhra University.{{Cite web |title=Kothapalli Geetha(Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party):Constituency- ARAKU(ANDHRA PRADESH) - Affidavit Information of Candidate |url=https://myneta.info/ls2014/candidate.php?candidate_id=8865 |access-date=2021-02-17 |website=myneta.info}}
Political career
Geetha was elected as an MP from Araku (Lok Sabha constituency) as YSRCP candidate from the (ST) community. She started, the Jana Jagruti Party, a new political party on 24 August 2018 with the aim of challenging the state's caste politics.{{Cite web|date=2018-08-24|title=Araku MP Kothapalli Geetha launches Jana Jagruti Party in Vijayawada|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/araku-mp-kothapalli-geetha-launches-jana-jagruti-party-vijayawada-87185|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The News Minute|language=en}} In June 2019, She joined the BJP in a meeting with Amit Shah and Ram Madhav.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-19|title=Former Andhra MP Kothapalli Geetha joins BJP after meeting Amit Shah|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/former-andhra-mp-kothapalli-geetha-joins-bjp-after-meeting-amit-shah-103872|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The News Minute|language=en}}
A petition was filed against Geetha in 2016 claiming that she was not a member of the ST community as she contested in the general elections 2014 in a reserved seat for ST community from Araku Lok Sabha Constituency and won the elections. An investigation committee formed for the probe and the district magistrate stated that she did not belong to the ST community.{{Cite web|last=|title=Kothapalli Geetha on Her Cast Issue|url=https://english.tupaki.com/politicalnews/article/Kothapalli-Geetha-on-Her-Cast-Issue/37979|website=tupaki}}
Lawsuits
= Punjab National Bank case =
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 30 June 2015 filed a chargesheet against Geetha and her husband, the managing director of Visweswara Infrastructure, and three others for alleged criminal conspiracy to defraud a branch of the Punjab National Bank in Hyderabad up to ₹42 crore.{{Cite news|date=2015-07-01|title=CBI files chargesheet against Araku MP|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-araku-mp/article7372532.ece|access-date=2021-02-17|issn=0971-751X}} The CBI reported that the accused gave wrong details to the bank and allegedly cheated the bank which led to the bank losing ₹42.79 crore. PNB sued Geetha and her husband P Ramakoteswar Rao and the Telangana high court stayed the five-year jail sentence awarded to them in the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case by CBI court and granted them bail.
But the loan has been repaid with full interest and satisfaction of PNB and PNB has filed a full satisfaction memo which is listed for quash in the High Court of Telangana.
References
{{reflist}}
{{16th LS members from Andhra Pradesh|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geetha, Kothapalli}}
Category:Lok Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh
Category:Women in Andhra Pradesh politics
Category:Andhra University alumni
Category:21st-century Indian women politicians
Category:Women members of the Lok Sabha
Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Andhra Pradesh