Defected BRS MLAs in a spot of bother

In all, 10 MLAs, who won the Assembly elections on BRS tickets from different constituencies, had joined the Congress after the elections.

Hyderabad: After the High Court orders and Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi’s ‘U’ turn, the other MLAs who defected to the Congress from the BRS, are now in a spot of bother.

In all, 10 MLAs, who won the Assembly elections on BRS tickets from different constituencies, had joined the Congress after the elections. However, after the defection of the first three MLAs, the BRS had approached the High Court, asking for disqualification of the turncoats. The court issued instructions to the Speaker on Monday to initiate action on the defected MLAs within four weeks.

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Already, the defected MLAs are facing tough times in their constituencies as the local Congress leaders were treating them like ‘untouchables’. Jogulamba Gadwal MLA B Krishnamohan Reddy, Jagtial MLA Dr Sanjay Kumar, Patancheru MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Chevella MLA K Yadaiah and others have been opposed openly by local Congress leaders.

Apart from the legal action, these MLAs are now worried about their future. With lack of support from the Congress cadre, they are apprehensive about their political career if they too are disqualified. The fear of disqualification is haunting them since Monday’s directions from the High Court could be cited as a precedent and similar action be demanded against them as well.