Hyderabad: In a key development on party defection cases, Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar issued notices to legislators accused of switching from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Congress. The move followed a Supreme Court order directing him to decide on the disqualification pleas within three months.
Notices were served to nine legislators, including Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy. The Speaker sought explanations on complaints filed by BRS leaders, who alleged that the MLAs had defected after winning on the party’s symbol. Krishna Mohan Reddy confirmed receipt of the notice but denied any defection. He maintained that he had only met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to discuss development issues in Gadwal and insisted he remained with the BRS.
Supreme Court warned Speaker against delaying disqualification proceedings
The action came after the Supreme Court bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih delivered its judgment on July 31. The court directed the Speaker to decide on disqualification petitions against ten MLAs who contested on the BRS symbol and later declared allegiance to Congress. It warned against delays, ruling that further adjournments would amount to a violation of the Constitution.
The petitions had been filed separately by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, BRS legislators, and BJP legislature party leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy. The Supreme Court also dismissed the Telangana High Court Division Bench order in the case. Further, it observed that Parliament must consider framing a law to deal with defections more effectively.
With notices now issued, political focus in the state has shifted to the Speaker’s proceedings against the accused legislators.