The Telangana High Court has set aside the election of Kothagudem legislator V. Venkateswar Rao and ruled that J. Venkat Rao is declared as elected to the assembly from Kothagudem assembly segment from 2018. This landmark judgement was given by Dr Justice Radha Rani of Telangana High Court on an election petition filed by J. Venkat Rao in 2019. He alleged in his petition that his opponent V. Venkateshwar Rao had not given complete property details of himself and his wife in the Form 26 to the election commission. The court has also imposed a fine of 5 lakh rupees on Venkateshwar Rao.
 
J. Venkat Rao contested the Kothagudem assembly constituency representing the then Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and had lost to his Congress rival V. Venkateshwar Rao. However, after the election, V. Venkateshwar Rao had joined the TRS (now BRS).