HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court has issued significant directives concerning the disqualification petitions of ten MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Congress Party. On January 15, BRS approached the Supreme Court seeking disqualification of these legislators. The petitions were filed by MLAs Padi Kaushik Reddy and KP Vivekanand against Kadiyam Srihari, T. Venkata Rao, and Danam Nagender. Additionally, K.T. Rama Rao filed writ petitions against Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, M. Sanjay Kumar, Kale Yadaiah, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, and Arikapudi Gandhi.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran, reviewed the petitions and had previously issued notices to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, the Assembly Secretary, the state government, the Central Election Commission, and the ten defected MLAs, instructing them to respond. In the latest hearing, the bench emphasized the necessity for the respondents to submit their counter-affidavits by March 25, 2025. This development marks a pivotal turn in the case, underscoring the judiciary’s role in addressing issues of political defections and maintaining the integrity of the legislative process.
