Telangana: Finally Prof Kodandaram, Amer Ali Khan take oath as MLCs

Hyderabad: Nearly eight months of uncertainty regarding MLCs under the Governor's quota in Telangana ended today. TJS ( Telangana Jana Samithi) President Prof M Kodandaram and Siasat News Editor Amer Ali Khan took oath as MLCs (Members of Legislative Council) under the Governor's quota in the Telangana Legislative Council.

Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Chief Advisor to Government Vem Narender Reddy, TJS leaders Bairi Ramesh, and Saleem Pasha among others were present when Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy administered the oath to the new MLCs.

This swearing-in programme comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court, this week, staying the earlier HC order that quashed the Gazette notification by the Congress government for the appointment of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs under the Governor's quota.

The BRS leaders sought a status quo on the process until the Supreme Court's final judgment. The SC bench, however, refused to pass any such order and said any appointments made in the meantime would be subject to the outcome in the current case. The next hearing will take place in four weeks.

Both names were finalised in January

A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government finalised the names of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan for MLCs under the Governor's quota on January 27, within 50 days after assuming charge in Telangana.

However, the Telangana High Court deferred their swearing-in based on a petition filed by BRS leaders Dasoju Shravan and Kurra Satyanarayana, whose names were recommended for MLCs under the same Governor's quota by the previous BRS government during the end of their term, but the then Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejected it in September 2023.

Hearing arguments in the same case, the High Court, in March, quashed the Governor’s order from September 2023, which had rejected the nominations of Dasoju Sravan Kumar and K. Satyanarayana to the Legislative Council. It also quashed the Gazette notification issued by the Congress government in January nominating M. Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs under the Governor’s quota, replacing the earlier choices, Dasoju Sravan and K Satyanarayana by the previous BRS regime.

Twice nominated

The Congress government finalised the names of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan on two occasions, first in January initially and again in the first week of August. Despite the High Court quashing the earlier gazette notification of the government just before the parliament election notification was issued, Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet stuck to the same choices and approved their names for the second time in the recent State Cabinet meeting, five months after the HC order.

Initial Nominations by BRS Government

The BRS government, led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, recommended Sravan and Satyanarayana for MLC posts under the Governor’s quota in August 2023. However, the then Governor, Tamilisai Soundararajan, rejected these nominations in September, citing their political and corporate affiliations. The rejected nominees, Sravan and Satyanarayana, approached the High Court in December, challenging the governor's decision. The High Court, after hearing their case, ordered a status quo and advised the government and the governor to reach a "gentleman’s agreement."

New nominations by the Congress Government

In January, following a change in government in Telangana, the new Congress-led administration under A Revanth Reddy recommended new names—Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan—for the MLC posts. The Governor approved these nominations, and a notification was issued. Sravan and Satyanarayana then challenged the new nominations in the High Court, arguing that the status quo order had been violated. They requested the suspension of the new notification. The governor’s counsel defended the new nominations, stating that the new government had rescinded the previous order and made fresh recommendations. This political situation illustrated the ongoing power struggle and the legal complexities involved in the nomination process for MLC posts under the Governor's quota. The outcome of this legal challenge would likely have significant implications for the state's political landscape.