Speaker Rejects Disqualification Of Defected MLAs

Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar today dismissed five of the ten disqualification petitions filed by the BRS against MLAs who defected to the Congress after winning on BRS tickets.

He ruled that there was insufficient evidence to treat the MLAs as defectors.

The verdict came just a day before the four-week deadline set by the Supreme Court, which had criticised the Speaker for delays and warned of possible contempt proceedings. The apex court had earlier imposed a three-month deadline ending October 21, which was not met by the Speaker, drawing sharp rebukes from the court.

In the first phase, the decision covered petitions against five MLAs - Tellam Venkat Rao, Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy, Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy and Arekapudi Gandhi. The decisions in three more cases - Pochampally Srinivas Reddy, Kale Yadaya and Sanjay Kumar - are expected to be delivered tomorrow (December 18).

In his order, the Speaker said that there was no evidence to prove that the five MLAs had switched parties, and that in the absence of sufficient evidence the MLAs could not be disqualified and would technically continue to be treated as members of the BRS.

Disqualification petitions were filed against a total of 10 MLAs, and inquiries have been completed in eight cases. The inquiries into the petitions against Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari are yet to be completed.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petition filed by the BRS on December 19, seeking directions to the Speaker for an expeditious decision on the disqualification pleas.