
Hyderabad: The Supreme Court reprimanded the Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad for setting a deadline over the decision on the disqualification of the MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after the Telangana Assembly elections. Gaddam Prasad has been granted one week to inform the Apex court about the timeline.
The bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran was hearing party working president KT Rama Rao’s (KTR) petition demanding the expulsion of BRS MLAs who switched loyalties to the ruling Congress. The next hearing is scheduled for February 10.
On January 31, the top court heard a similar petition against former BRS leaders, Tellam Venkat Rao, Danam Nagender, and Kadiam Srihari, who are currently in the Congress.
Now, the BRS has filed petitions against Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, T Prakash Goud, Arekapudi Gandhi, Gudem Mahipal Reddy and M Sanjay Kumar.
Following the Supreme Court’s order, KTR said that it would be impossible for Congress to shield the defected MLAs. He took to X and said, “Let us be prepared to fight By-elections soon my fellow BRS soldiers.”
BRS files petition in SC against defected MLAs
On January 16, the BRS filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the defected MLAs. The petitions urge the Supreme Court to direct the Telangana assembly speaker and secretary to take prompt action and establish a timeline for resolving the disqualification cases.
The petition was filed against three MLAs including Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, and Tellam Venkat Rao and a writ petition against seven others mentioning Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, M Sanjay Kumar, Krishnamohan Reddy, Mahipal Reddy, Prakash Goud and Arekapudi Gandhi.
BRS highlighted that despite a November 2024 ruling by the Telangana High Court directing the Assembly speaker to act on the disqualification pleas under the anti-defection law, no action has been taken since the verdict.
The High Court’s division bench led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Srinivas Rao had dismissed a petition seeking direct disqualification and left the matter to the Speaker’s discretion.
Citing the Keisham Meghachandra case, which emphasized the Speaker’s duty to decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable timeframe, the BRS has appealed to the Supreme Court to enforce a decision within four weeks.
The decision to file the petitions followed discussions led by senior BRS leader and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao with a legal team in New Delhi on January 15.
The BRS also noted the lack of action from the Speaker and Legislature Secretary pointing out that even preliminary notices were not issued to the defected MLAs.