New Delhi, 15 January (H.S.): Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Thursday dismissed petitions seeking the disqualification of two Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs, ruling that there was no evidence to show that they had defected to the ruling Congress.
Pronouncing the orders on the disqualification pleas against Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Kale Yadaiah, the Speaker said the anti-defection law did not apply to them as there was no proof of a formal switch in party allegiance. He held that the two MLAs were technically still members of the BRS.
With this decision, the Speaker has dismissed disqualification petitions against seven of the 10 BRS MLAs accused of defecting to the Congress. Last month, he had dismissed similar petitions against five MLAs Tellam Venkat Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, T Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy and Arekapudi Gandhi.
The Speaker is yet to pronounce an order on the disqualification plea against Sanjay Kumar. Hearings on the petitions against eight MLAs have been completed and orders reserved. Proceedings against two other MLAs, Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari, are expected after they submit their replies to notices issued in November, for which they have sought additional time.
The BRS had filed petitions seeking the disqualification of 10 MLAs who were elected on its ticket in the 2023 Assembly elections and were alleged to have shifted loyalties to the Congress in 2024. While the BRS claimed that the MLAs had openly joined the ruling party and occupied treasury benches in the Assembly, the legislators denied the allegations, saying they had only met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to seek funds for constituency development.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on November 17 had issued a contempt notice to the Telangana Speaker for not complying with its directive to decide the disqualification pleas. Earlier, on July 31, a bench headed by the then Chief Justice BR Gavai had directed the Speaker to decide the matter within three months, warning that non-compliance would amount to serious contempt of court.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
