There is no proof !

BRS, BJP cry foul

Speaker Prasada Rao gives clean chit to five MLAs

Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Wednesday dismissed disqualification petitions filed against five MLAs who were accused of defecting from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the ruling Congress party. The decision was pronounced after examining the petitions under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India and the Telangana Legislative Assembly Members (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1986.

As per the official press note issued by Secretary to the State Legislature V. Narasimha Charyulu, the Speaker, acting as the Chairman of the Tribunal under Paragraph 6 of the Tenth Schedule, carefully examined the petitions, scrutinised the material placed on record and adhered to the principles of natural justice by providing adequate opportunity of hearing to all concerned parties. The Speaker reportedly observed that there was no conclusive or legally sustainable evidence to establish that the respondent MLAs had voluntarily given up their membership of the BRS or formally switched their political loyalties, which is a key requirement for attracting disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The dismissed disqualification petitions were filed by opposition BRS legislators against five MLAs. The petitions included: K.P. Vivekanand against Tellam Venkata Rao (Disqualification Petition No. 2 of 2024); Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and another against Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy (Disqualification Petition No. 6 of 2024); Kalvakuntla Sanjay against T. Prakash Goud (Disqualification Petition No. 7 of 2024); Chinta Prabhakar against Gudem Mahipal Reddy (Disqualification Petition No. 9 of 2024); and Kalvakuntla Sanjay against Arekapudi Gandhi (Disqualification Petition No. 11 of 2024). After considering the merits of all five petitions, the Speaker dismissed them. The press note stated that uploading of the detailed orders on the official website of the Telangana Legislature is under process.

Earlier, the Speaker had issued notices to 10 MLAs against whom disqualification petitions were filed by the BRS. Of them, eight MLAs submitted their replies to the notices. However, Danam Nagender and Kadiam Srihari sought additional time to respond and were yet to file their replies.

Decision sparks political storm

Reacting to the Speaker’s decision, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao termed the order a “cruel joke on democracy.” He alleged that the Speaker acted under the influence of the ruling Congress, recalling the Chief Minister’s statement on the floor of the Assembly that nothing would happen to the defected MLAs. 

Rama Rao said the party would challenge the Speaker’s decision in a court of law and expressed confidence that justice would prevail. He also referred to the Supreme Court issuing a contempt notice to the Speaker earlier for not deciding the disqualification pleas within a stipulated time.

Former minister T. Harish Rao said the verdict had fully exposed the Congress party’s “Save the Constitution” slogan. He accused the Congress government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, of weakening constitutional institutions for political benefit and violating democratic principles by sidelining anti-defection norms.

BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao described the Speaker’s decision as a “murder of the Constitution and democracy.” He alleged that despite having enacted the anti-defection law, the Congress party had failed to respect it and had influenced a constitutional authority like the Speaker, thereby undermining the independence and sanctity of the office.