HYDERABAD, February 10: The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on disqualification petitions on Monday concerning ten Telangana MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Congress party. The bench, comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, expressed dissatisfaction over the prolonged delay by the Telangana Assembly Speaker in addressing these petitions.
During the proceedings, counsel representing BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao highlighted that one of the defected MLAs, after winning on a BRS ticket, joined Congress and contested as an MP, referring to Danam Nagender. The counsel further detailed the actions of other defected MLAs.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Assembly Secretary, requested additional time, citing the need for a “reasonable period” to decide on the disqualification matters. The bench retorted, noting that ten months had already elapsed since the petitions were filed, questioning if this duration did not constitute a reasonable time.
Rohatgi sought an extension of four to five days to provide a conclusive response. Acknowledging this request, the bench adjourned the hearing to February 18, 2025.
The disqualification petitions were filed by BRS members seeking action against ten MLAs who switched allegiance to Congress after being elected on BRS tickets. The prolonged inaction by the Speaker has been a point of contention, leading to the current proceedings in the Supreme Court.
