In a significant development for Telangana politics, former Minister G. Jagadish Reddy, accompanied by fellow Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs K.P. Vivekanand and Chinta Prabhakar, has formally submitted a detailed response to Assembly Joint Secretary Upender Reddy. This submission addresses the explanations provided by several legislators who stand accused of abandoning the BRS to join the Congress party.
Out of ten legislators currently under the cloud of ‘defection’ charges, eight have furnished their explanations to notices issued by Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad. These notices were prompted by official complaints from BRS MLAs. The legislators who have responded include Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Banswada, Krishna Mohan Reddy from Gadwal, Yadayya from Chevella, Tellam Venkata Rao from Bhadrachalam, Gudem Mahipal Reddy from Patancheru, and Dr. Sanjay from Jagtial. Notably, BRS MLAs Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagender, who are also subject to disqualification pleas, have not yet submitted their rejoinders to the Speaker’s office. Earlier, Mr. Jagdish Reddy and his colleagues had formally petitioned the Speaker to disqualify these MLAs for their alleged party shift.
Addressing the media in Hyderabad on Monday (September 15, 2025), Mr. Jagadish Reddy vehemently asserted that the accused MLAs have betrayed the public’s trust and mandate, reiterating his demand for their immediate disqualification. He further challenged their claims of innocence, presenting photographic evidence of their active participation in Congress party campaigns alongside prominent leaders.
Questioning their loyalty, Reddy remarked, “If these individuals truly believed in BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao’s leadership, why were they attending Congress events, sharing platforms with prominent figures like Rahul Gandhi, and featuring in their advertisements?” He concluded by stating that these MLAs have been ‘caught red-handed,’ implying that by-elections in their respective constituencies are now an unavoidable consequence.