Telangana’s turncoats MLAs in trouble; might appear before Speaker next week

Telangana Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has issued notices to 10 MLAs who defected from the BRS to Congress. Following Supreme Court guidelines, the MLAs must respond to disqualification petitions, raising political stakes ahead of possible bypolls in their constituencies.

Hyderabad: The simmering crisis over defections in Telangana politics appears to be inching towards a flashpoint. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has started issuing notices to 10 MLAs who switched loyalties from the BRS to the ruling Congress. This comes after the Supreme Court’s verdict July 25, directing the Speaker to decide on disqualification petitions under the Anti-Defection Act within three months.

The defected MLAs including Kadiyam Srihari, Krishnamohan Reddy, Danam Nagender, Kale Yadaiah, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Tellam Venkat Rao, Arekapudi Gandhi, Prakash Goud, K Sanjay Kumar and Gudem Mahipal Reddy, represent more than a crisis of numbers.

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Sources said after consulting the Advocate General and legal experts, the Speaker initiated the process and served notices to five MLAs seeking their explanation. Notices will be served to the remaining five MLAs, even as the Speaker is expected to commence meetings with the defected MLAs from next week.

All the 10 defected MLAs are now staring at the possibility of disqualification under the anti-defection law. They will now have to reply, accepting or contesting the defection charges. While some are expected to argue that they merely distanced themselves from the BRS without formally joining Congress, the case of Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, who contested as a Congress Lok Sabha candidate, appears clear-cut.

Photographs of certain MLAs wearing Congress scarves had surfaced earlier, although some claimed their meetings with Congress leaders were for the development of their respective constituencies, not for political purposes. However, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud had put them in trouble by admitting to having inducted them into the party during a recent interview with a vernacular news channel.

While rumours are rife that the Speaker might seek an extension to decide over the fate of defected MLAs, legal experts ruled out the possibility as the Supreme Court gave clear guidelines. They pointed out that while the Speaker was given a clear deadline of three months, he was also instructed to disqualify MLAs who resort to delay tactics.

The Congress government, which cheered defections as a shortcut to weakening the BRS, is now uncomfortably aware that these MLAs could soon be rendered politically irrelevant if disqualified. Worse, their blatant floor-crossing has stripped the Congress of its moral veneer, leaving it open to accusations of engineering defections for survival.

What remains is the Speaker’s burden. By issuing notices in sealed covers, he is signalling constitutional propriety. If he acts decisively, these 10 turncoats may find themselves stripped of their seats and dignity. If he dithers, he risks dragging his constitutional office into disrepute.

Either way, the Congress’ opportunistic embrace of defections is set to boomerang, and the BRS, though battered, stands vindicated in its legal battle. The BRS is confident that bypolls are inevitable in these 10 constituencies.