Harish Rao Writes To Rahul Gandhi On Danam Defection

Senior BRS leader and MLA Harish Rao today wrote an open letter to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, asking the Congress' commitment to constitutional values over the alleged defection of Danam Nagender in Telangana.

In the letter, the BRS legislator claimed that Nagender, who was elected to the Telangana Legislative Assembly on a BRS ticket, contested the Lok Sabha election using an official Congress B-Form issued by the Indian National Congress.

Calling it a matter of public record, the BRS leader questioned why the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly had reportedly stated that there was "no evidence of defection".

He asked what constituted evidence under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution's Tenth Schedule if contesting elections on another party's ticket while continuing as an MLA did not qualify.

Rao said that he had already written to the Speaker seeking action under the anti-defection law but that the Congress government in Telangana appeared unwilling to act.

The BRS leader urged Gandhi to advise the State government and the Speaker to take action.

"You travel across the country proclaiming that you are fighting to protect the Constitution. In Parliament, in public meetings and in political campaigns, you repeatedly claim that safeguarding constitutional values is the central mission of the Congress. Your party's 2024 election manifesto also promised to strengthen democratic institutions and uphold the anti-defection framework to protect the mandate of the people," Rao said in the letter. "Constitutional values must be upheld through action and not merely through political speeches."