Telangana Speaker seeks two-month extension from SC on BRS MLAs’ disqualification cases

Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has sought a two-month extension from the Supreme Court to decide on the disqualification of 10 BRS MLAs accused of defecting to the Congress. The earlier three-month deadline set by the court ended on October 31.

Hyderabad: Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has sought two months extension of time from the Supreme Court on the disqualification cases of 10 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs, who are being charged of defecting to Congress party after the assembly elections in 2023.

After the BRS approached the Supreme Court appealing disqualification of the defected MLAs, the apex court on July 31 had asked the Speaker to act on the disqualification of MLAs within three months. Accordingly, the three months deadline elapsed on October 31.

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The Speaker was to resume hearing on Friday but had sought two months extension on the disqualification cases hearing.

As per the directions of the apex court, the Speaker had issued notices to the 10 BRS defected MLAs. Of them, eight had submitted their affidavits and two, including Khairthabad MLA Danam Nagender and Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari had sought additional time to respond.

The hearing and cross examination of four MLAs, including Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy (Jogulamba Gadwal), Gudem Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru), Kale Yadaiah (Chevella) and T Prakash Goud (Rajendranagar) commenced on September 29.

During the hearing and cross examination, the four MLAs claimed they were technically associated with the BRS. They claimed that they had met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to seek support in the development of their respective constituencies.

The hearing and cross examination of six other MLAs, including Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Serilingampally MLA A Gandhi, Bhadrachalam MLA T Venkat Rao and Jagityala MLA Dr Sanjay, is still pending and there is no update on the same.

On October 23 at a party programme in Banswada, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy had openly admitted that he had won the elections on the BRS party symbol. “Technically, I will abide by the Speaker’s decision,” Srinivas Reddy had said.

Under these circumstances, the Speaker sought two months more time from the Supreme Court on the case.