Speaker speeds up hearings on disqualification pleas after Supreme Court contempt notice

After Supreme Court’s contempt notice, Telangana Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has fast-tracked disqualification cases against 10 BRS MLAs who switched to Congress. Two turncoats will face cross-examination on Wednesday; eight claim they are still with BRS technically.

Hyderabad: A day after the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has expedited hearings on disqualification petitions and directed two Bharat Rashtra Samithi turncoat MLAs to appear for oral arguments on Wednesday.

Advocates of Qutbullapur MLA KP Vivekanand will cross-examine Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkat Rao from 11 am, while former Minister G Jagadish Reddy’s counsel will cross-examine Jagtial MLA Dr Sanjay from 12 noon.

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Last Saturday, the Speaker conducted hearings of both MLAs for over three hours on the Assembly premises. After Wednesday’s proceedings, the cross-examination of Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi is likely to be held on Thursday. Both were questioned last Friday.

Of the 10 turncoat MLAs, eight have responded to the Speaker’s notice and submitted affidavits. Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender and Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari have sought more time.

During the cross-examination, the eight defected MLAs claimed they remained technically associated with the BRS. Despite photographs and videos showing their meetings with Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, they argued that the meetings were solely to seek government support for development works in their constituencies.

At a recent party programme, Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy admitted he had won on a BRS ticket and had met the Chief Minister seeking funds for his constituency, adding that he would abide by the Speaker’s decision. Jogulamba Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy made similar remarks.

Amid continuing arguments, the Speaker sought two more months to act on the disqualification petitions after the October 31 deadline set by the apex court elapsed. Objecting to this, the BRS again approached the Supreme Court, which issued a contempt notice and directed the Speaker to act within a week. In line with the directive, the Speaker instructed two BRS turncoat MLAs to appear for the hearing on Wednesday.