SC issues notice to Telangana speaker over delay in deciding disqualification of BRS MLAs

Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Telangana speaker over ‘delay’ in deciding the disqualification of BRS MLAs who crossed over to the Congress in the State.

The apex court, which heard the petition filed by BRS, questioned the delay by the Telangana speaker on ‘democratic grounds.’

Who switched over the Congress from BRS?

As many as 10 BRS MLAs switched over to the Congress after Revanth Reddy became the chief minister following the party’s victory in the Assembly polls in November last year. Besides the MLAs, six MLCs and senior leaders like K Keshav Rao, his daughter and Hyderabad mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi from BRS have also switched loyalties.

Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, who had been the BRS party’s nominee and won the Assembly elections, contested on a Congress ticket for the Parliamentary elections.

BRS MLAs Kuna Pandu Vivekananda and Padi Kaushik Reddy had requested for a direction to the speaker to disqualify MLA Bhadradri Koghagudem, Venkata Rao Tellam; MLA Ghanpur-Hanmakonda, Kadiyam Srihari; and MLA Khairatabad, Danam Nagender for defecting to Congress without resigning from the BRS. The BRS knocked the High Court and Supreme Court against the Telangana speaker’s delay in deciding the disqualification petition in respect to these defected MLAs.

The speaker’s decision was on hold for six months

Following this, the BRS, in its petition, stated that the decision, which is to be taken by the Telangana speaker, has been pending for six months. BRS pointed out that Danam Nagender, one of their (BRS MLAs) who crossed over to Congress, was even given an MP ticket from Secunderabad. Despite this, the speaker failed to take timely action, which amounts to a failure of Constitutional mandate.

Speaking on the issue on Tuesday, the Supreme Court stated, “Every matter can’t be operation successful, patient dead... reasonable period (for deciding disqualification pleas) should be the end of the term!? In a democracy, should this process go on endlessly till the end of the term? What happens to democratic principles then?” remarked Justice BR Gavai in the backdrop of the Telangana Assembly speaker’s delay in deciding disqualification petitions.

BRS had filed two petitions over defection:

One was filed by BRS working president KT Rama Rao against the delay in deciding over the disqualification of seven MLAs, namely Srinivas Reddy Parigi, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, T Prakash Goud, A Gandhi, Gudem Mahipal Reddy and M Sanjay Kumar.

The second was filed by Huzurabad BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy against three MLAs—Venkata Rao Tellam, Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagender.