Hyderabad, Nov.22 (NSS): The Chief Justice of Telangana High Court today delivered verdict on the disqualification petitions of several MLAs, who had defected from the BRS party and joined the ruling Congress party. It directed the assembly Speaker to take a decision on the issue at an appropriate time. It had earlier set aside the single judge bench’s verdict. The High Court’s CJ bench said in the judgment that there was no time frame for the assembly Speaker to take a decision. It, however, suggested that a decision should be taken at an appropriate time and that too as per the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. It suggested that the Speaker should take a decision keeping in mind the anti-defection law and the five-year assembly deadline. With the latest verdict, it can be said the MLAs, who have switched sides got relief.
Several MLAs, including Kadiyam Srihari, Vellam Venkat Rao and Danam Nagender, who won as BRS party candidates in last year’s assembly elections, recently joined the ruling Congress party. However, BRS party MLAs Padi Kaushik Reddy and K P Vivekanand filed petitions seeking directions to the assembly Speaker to take action against those who switched sides.
BJP MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy filed another petition seeking disqualification of Danam Nagender. The petitions were heard by a single bench of the High Court. On September 9, the single judge bench had ruled that the schedule of hearing on the disqualification petitions should be finalised within four weeks. The legislature secretary had filed an appeal petition in the division bench of the High Court seeking quashing of the order. A division bench of the High Court headed by the Chief Justice heard the appeal petition and delivered the final verdict on Friday.
Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy argued that the single judge’s verdict should be quashed. Senior advocates Mohan Rao and J Ramachander Rao, appearing for the BRS party MLAs, made the submissions. They said the single judge did not intervene in the matter of the rebel MLAs. They also said when their clients went to lodge a complaint against the rebel MLAs, the assembly Speaker did not take up their petition prompting them to approach the High Court.
