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Ten BRS leaders sent notices over defections to Congress
The notices were issued following the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court on July 31, setting a deadline of three months for the speaker to decide on the petitions filed by the BRS seeking disqualification of party MLAs who defected to the Congress in 2024
Telangana assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has issued notices to 10 lawmakers of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who allegedly defected to the Congress last year, asking them to explain the reasons for shifting loyalties, people, familiar with the matter, said on Saturday.
The notices were issued following the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court on July 31, setting a deadline of three months for the speaker to decide on the petitions filed by the BRS seeking disqualification of party MLAs who defected to the Congress in 2024.
The defected MLAs are: Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Banswada assembly constituency, Kale Yadaiah from Chevella, M Sanjay Kumar from Jagitial, B Krishnamohan Reddy from Gadwal, G Mahipal Reddy from Patancheru, T Prakash Goud from Rajendranagar, Arekapudi Gandhi from Serilingampally, Danam Nagender from Khairatabad, Kadiyam Srihari from Station Ghanpur and Tellam Venkat Rao from Bhadrachalam.
Gadwal MLA Krishnamohan Reddy on Saturday confirmed that he had received a notice from the speaker seeking explanation on his alleged defection to the Congress. He, however, said he had not read the notice yet.
“My office informed me about the receipt of notices from the assembly speaker. I am yet to go through the notice. I will respond to it appropriately,” Reddy told reporters in Hyderabad.
He, however, refuted the allegation made in the petition filed by the BRS leaders that he had defected to the Congress. “It is true that I had met chief minister A Revanth Reddy last year, but it was only to discuss developmental issues related to my constituency. Technically, I am still a member of the BRS,” Krishnamohan Reddy clarified.
Stating that he still had good relations with BRS leaders, the Gadwal MLA said he had a lot of respect for party president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. “But I have to safeguard the interests of the people of my constituency. I always take decisions keeping in mind people of my constituency,” he said.
Krishnamohan Reddy said he always respected the law and would not take any decision against the law. “I shall abide by any decision taken by the assembly speaker,” he said.
An official of the state secretariat said the speaker had consulted legal experts following the Supreme Court judgement, before issuing notices to the MLAs who allegedly defected. He asked the MLAs to give an explanation whether they would agree with the contention of the BRS that they had defected to the Congress or continue in the BRS.
“The decisions under the anti-defection law fall solely within the speaker’s jurisdiction. So, he will act accordingly,” the official said.
