The office of Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has made a significant move by formally asking the Supreme Court for more time to conclude the hearings on disqualification petitions against several state legislators who switched parties.
This request is particularly timely as the Supreme Court’s stringent three-month deadline, mandated on July 31, is set to expire on October 31. The apex court had previously instructed the Speaker to finalize the inquiry into these defection cases ‘at all costs’ and to take decisive action against any legislators found to have violated anti-defection laws.
The initial Supreme Court directive was prompted by petitions filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which sought the disqualification of its former Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who had either joined or openly supported the newly formed Congress government.
Sources indicate that the Telangana Assembly Secretary, representing the Speaker, submitted a petition to the Supreme Court requesting an additional two months. The plea highlighted that only four of the concerned legislators have undergone examination thus far.
While some legislators have responded to the proceedings, prominent figures like Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari have yet to present themselves before the Speaker or file their affidavits, having requested further time. This political saga began after the 2023 Assembly elections when ten BRS MLAs defected, shifting allegiances towards the new Congress government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.