Hyderabad, Jul 31 (PTI) Telangana Assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Thursday said he will consult legal experts once he receives the Supreme Court order copy on the issue of disqualification of BRS MLAs who switched loyalties to the ruling Congress and decide the future course of action.
Reacting to the SC directive to decide within three months on the disqualification petitions against 10 BRS MLAs who had switched sides to Congress, Prasad Kumar said, according to the speeches given by former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, courts can not question the President and Speakers.
“We will consult with legal experts after we receive the full copy of the Supreme Court verdict. We will let you know the future course of action,” Prasad Kumar told PTI.
Replying to a query, the Speaker said he had already issued notices to those BRS legislators who have defected to Congress and they sought some time to reply.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide in three months the disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs who switched allegiance to the ruling Congress, saying political defections have the power to disrupt democracy if not curbed.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive to the Speaker and “hoped” that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who in his ‘Panch Nyay’ (promise announced before 2024 Lok Sabha elections) advocated for stronger anti-defection laws and automatic cancellation upon defection, will welcome the Supreme Court’s decision.
“I dare you to stand by your own preachings, Mr Gandhi. And I hope you and your party doesn’t use the honourable Speaker’s position to make a mockery of the Indian Constitution, any further,” he said.
Predicting that the 10 constituencies represented by the turncoat MLAs would witness bypolls after three months, with the disqualification of the legislators, Rama Rao asked party cadre to start preparations for the byelections.
BRS MLA K P Vivekananda told reporters that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, without waiting for the Speaker’s decision in three months, should make the 10 MLAs resign from their posts and seek a fresh mandate.
The ruling Congress, however, hit back at the BRS, recalling that the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party had encouraged the defection of TDP and Congress MLAs to its side when it was in power from 2014 to 2023.
Congress MLC Addanki Dayakar said the whole of TDP’s Legislature Party and not just individual MLAs merged with the BRS (then TRS).
Slamming BRS, Congress MLA Adi Srinivas, quoting a proverb, said the regional party’s behaviour is like a cat going on a pilgrimage after killing 100 mice.
During its 10-year BRS regime, the party had inducted about 60 MLAs, MLCs, MPs and hundreds of local body members from other parties, which was nothing but murder of democracy, Srinivas said.
Welcoming the apex court’s verdict, state BJP president N Ramchander Rao said both BRS and Congress are guilty of encouraging defections. PTI GDK/SJR SJR ADB
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