Telangana HC issues notices to 7 turncoat MLAs, Speaker in defection case

The Speaker had dismissed the disqualification petitions filed against the MLAs.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, March 25, issued notices to seven MLAs facing defection cases and to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, seeking their responses to a petition filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The notices were served on MLAs Danam Nagender, Arekapudi Gandhi, Kale Yadaiah, T Prakash Goud, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy and Tellam Venkat Rao – all former BRS legislators who crossed over to the ruling Congress party. 

The court has scheduled the next hearing for April 16.

The BRS had approached the High Court after Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar dismissed disqualification petitions filed against ten of its MLAs who defected to Congress. The party contended that the Speaker had cleared the legislators despite insufficient evidence, effectively shielding them from action under the anti-defection law.

Of the 10 MLAs originally named in the petitions, seven have now been directed by the court to file their counter-statements along with the Speaker.