Hyderabad: Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar formally began hearings on disqualification petitions filed against Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender on Friday.
The Speaker took up two disqualification petitions related to Danam Nagender in his chamber at the Assembly. BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, who filed the petitions, appeared before the Speaker along with his legal counsel and presented arguments.
At the same time, Danam Nagender attended the hearing along with his lawyers. However, ahead of the proceedings, he submitted an affidavit to the Speaker.
In the affidavit, Danam Nagender stated that he had not resigned from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. He said he continued to remain a member of the party.
He clarified that his participation in a Congress meeting in March 2024 was in his personal capacity. Therefore, he said the meeting did not amount to a party switch.
MLA disqualification case gains urgency ahead of Supreme Court deadline
Meanwhile, the Speaker scheduled a separate hearing at 12 noon on a disqualification petition filed by BJP Legislature Party leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy in the same case.
The hearings gained urgency as the deadline set by the Supreme Court of India expires on January 31. Therefore, the Speaker accelerated proceedings in the disqualification cases.
In the past, the Speaker dismissed several petitions related to alleged defections by MLAs. As a result, political circles closely watched the proceedings in the Danam Nagender case.
Now, the Speaker’s decision on the disqualification pleas against Danam Nagender has emerged as a major talking point in state politics.