Telangana Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, conducted a hearing on Thursday regarding the disqualification petitions of two BRS MLAs who allegedly switched allegiance to the ruling Congress in 2024. The Speaker completed the hearing on the disqualification petition of Kadiyam Srihari and postponed the hearing on Danam Nagender’s disqualification to Saturday. He has instructed both the petitioners and the MLA to attend the hearing on Saturday.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Kaushik Reddy and BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy have filed petitions seeking the disqualification of Nagender. The Speaker also concluded the hearing on the disqualification petition filed by BRS MLA K. P. Vivekanand against Srihari. The Speaker is expected to finalize the process with the hearing scheduled for Saturday, and the decisions on the petitions are anticipated to be announced later.
The Speaker has rejected petitions for the disqualification of eight out of 10 BRS MLAs who allegedly switched to the Congress in 2024. In separate instances, the Speaker dismissed petitions for the disqualification of various MLAs for lack of evidence proving their defection to the Congress, thus stating that the Anti-Defection Act could not be applied. The BRS claimed that the MLAs openly joined the Congress, but the MLAs denied this, asserting that their interactions with the Chief Minister were solely to request funds for constituency development.
On February 6, the Supreme Court granted the Speaker a final opportunity to decide the remaining disqualification petitions against BRS MLAs. Justices Sanjay Karol and A.G. Masih directed the Speaker to make a decision within three weeks, warning of contempt proceedings if not complied with. The Supreme Court was addressing contempt petitions related to the Speaker’s delay in deciding on the disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs who purportedly switched to the Congress.
