Hyderabad, March 27: The Telangana High Court has issued notices to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and two legislators regarding allegations of defection.
This notice pertains to petitions filed by members of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The petitions challenge the Speaker’s decision to dismiss disqualification petitions against them.
A bench comprising Chief Justice A. P. Singh and Justice G. M. Mohiuddin directed the Speaker and MLAs Kadiyam Srihari and Sanjay Kumar to submit their responses, postponing the hearing until April 16.
Just a day prior, the High Court had also issued notices to seven other MLAs facing defection allegations, including Danam Nagender, Arekapudi Gandhi, Kale Yadaya, T. Prakash Goud, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, and Telam Venkata Rao.
The Speaker had dismissed disqualification petitions against ten MLAs who won on BRS tickets in 2023, citing that they had joined the ruling Congress party ahead of the 2024 elections.
BRS contended in its petition that dismissing the cases due to lack of evidence was erroneous, effectively granting the MLAs a clean chit.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA A. Maheshwar Reddy has also challenged the Speaker’s decision, alleging that Danam Nagender joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad as a Congress candidate.
The High Court has consolidated all petitions and scheduled the next hearing for April 16.
– D.S.C.
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