Telangana Speaker put under SC lens; two-week deadline set on disqualification pleas
Telangana Speaker put under SC lens; two-week deadline set on disqualification pleas
Supreme Court orders swift action as Telangana Speaker faces pressure to decide disqualification pleas of rebel BRS MLAs within two weeks.
The Supreme Court faulted the Telangana Speaker for delaying decisions on disqualification pleas against rebel BRS MLAs and directed a two-week timeline to report progress. The bench led by Justices Sanjay Karol and AG Masih stated, “We are giving you two weeks. Finish it by then.” The court’s order comes after petitions, including a contempt plea by KTR Rao, questioned the Speaker’s adherence to the three-month deadline set by a July order last year. The Speaker’s camp argued that intervening events required more time, noting a hospital stay for eye surgery from January 8–10 and the arrival of a new assembly secretary on December 26, while asserting progress in several cases.
Seven disqualification petitions have already been disposed, with decisions against seven rebel MLAs who defected to the Congress following the 2023 elections. On December 17, petitions against five MLAs were closed, followed by rulings against two others on January 15. The MLAs named include Kale Yadaiah, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Tellam Venkat Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, T Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, and Arekapudi Gandhi. The petition against M Sanjay Kumar has been reserved for judgment, while petitions against Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagendar are slated for enquiry.
The two-week deadline the court imposed is a push toward finality in a high-stakes legal tussle that shapes the balance of power in the state assembly. While the hearing acknowledged ongoing administrative adjustments, observers note that the outcome of these disqualification pleas could influence the political landscape as the cases proceed. The broader dispute reflects the friction between the ruling BRS and rebel legislators who aligned with the Congress, underscoring Telangana’s fraught political terrain.
