A significant writ petition challenging the eligibility of BRS MLC P. Venkatrama Reddy is slated for an upcoming hearing before the Telangana High Court. The bench, led by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, has instructed the Registry to officially register the plea, which was filed on Tuesday, September 16, setting the stage for proceedings within the next few days.
The petition was lodged by J. Shankar and R. Subender Singh, who are seeking a ‘quo warranto’ – a legal action requiring a person to show by what authority they hold public office. Their primary argument centers on the claim that Mr. Reddy’s election as an MLC was invalid because his voluntary retirement from central service was allegedly not properly sanctioned by the Union government.
The petitioners assert that Mr. Reddy tendered his resignation from his position as Medak District Collector on November 15, 2021, submitting it to the Chief Secretary. This occurred just prior to his nomination by the BRS party for the MLC post. Remarkably, the State government accepted his resignation on the very same day, and he was subsequently elected as an MLC the following day.
Crucially, the petitioners highlight that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) did not formally accept Mr. Reddy’s resignation. They argue that as an All India Service officer, he was legally required to provide a three-month advance notice to the DoPT before resigning – a mandatory procedural step which, according to their claims, was not followed.