The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has stepped up its efforts for action against defected MLAs by filing two petitions in the Supreme Court on Thursday (January 16), seeking disqualification of 10 legislators who switched allegiance to the ruling Congress party. The petitions urge the Apex court to direct both the Telangana Assembly Speaker and Secretary to take immediate action and fix a timeline for resolving the disqualification cases.
The BRS has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against three MLAs — Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, and Tellam Venkat Rao — and a writ petition against seven others — Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, M. Sanjay Kumar, Krishnamohan Reddy, Mahipal Reddy, Prakash Goud, and Arekapudi Gandhi.
The main Opposition party contended that despite a High Court ruling in November 2024 asking the Assembly Speaker to act on the disqualification pleas under the anti-defection laws, no action had been taken since the verdict. The Division Bench of the High Court, comprising the then Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Srinivas Rao, had dismissed a petition seeking direct disqualification and left the matter to the Speaker’s decision.
Citing the Keisham Meghachandra case, which emphasized the Speaker’s obligation to decide on disqualification pleas within a reasonable time-frame, the BRS has appealed to the Supreme Court to enforce a decision within four weeks.
The decision to file the petitions was made after consultations led by senior party leader and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao with a legal team in New Delhi on Wednesday (January 15). The BRS highlighted the lack of action from the Speaker and Legislature Secretary, noting that even preliminary notices were not issued to the defected MLAs.
Published – January 16, 2025 06:36 pm IST
