Speaker issues notices to 6 defected MLAs

Hyderabad: Telangana Assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad on Friday issued fresh notices to six MLAs of BRS who had defected to the Congress party, seeking additional evidence in proper legal format.

The Speaker on Friday issued notices to BRS MLAs including Sanjay (Jagtial), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada), Tellam Venkatrao (Bhdarachalam), B Krishnamohan Reddy (Gadwal), Kale Yadaiah (Chevella), Gudem Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru). The BRS party had complained to the Speaker that these MLAs had defected the party and sought action against them.

Acting on the deadline set by the Supreme Court of India to take a decision at the earliest or before 90 days, the Speaker issued fresh notices. The Supreme Court on July 31 had asked the speaker to take a decision within three months. The Speaker has asked the MLAs to reply within three days. The two other members Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagender had sought additional time to respond to the notices.

The BRS had to face defeat in the Assembly elections in 2023 and Congress government was formed with A Revanth Reddy taking charge as Chief Minister and the BRS had to sit in opposition. With ‘Operation Akarsh’, several BRS MLAs and other senior leaders joined the Congress party. The BRS had approached the Speaker seeking disqualification of the MLAs who had defected. With lack of response, the BRS leaders approached court. The Supreme Court wanted the Speaker to take a decision within three months stating that there should not be a situation where the ‘Operation is successful, patient dead’.

During the previous government, several Congress MLAs had joined the ruling BRS. The Congress party had to lose the status of main opposition party and also the leader of opposition. Presently, the Congress party leaders argue that the BRS had encouraged the defections then and are questioning now. They alleged that several MLAs had gone scot free with the Speaker not taking any decision on the petitions filed by the Congress party.