SC Directs Telangana Speaker To Decide On Disqualification Of Defected MLAs Within 3 Months

Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide on disqualification of BRS MLAs who defected to Congress with in three months. The Court observed that it cannot allow a situation of "operation successful but patient died" by allowing the disqualification petitions to remain pending during the term of the assembly, allowing the defectors to reap the benefits of the delay.

The bench warned that any attempt to frustrate or delay proceedings will invite adverse inference. The Speaker, acting as a



tribunal under the Tenth Schedule, does not enjoy constitutional immunity and must act promptly. The MLAs who defected to the Congress from BRS are Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Banswada, Kale Yadaiah from Chevella, M Sanjay Kumar from Jagitial, B Krishnamohan Reddy from Gadwal, G Mahipal Reddy from Patancheru, T Prakash Goud from Rajendranagar, Arekapudi Gandhi from Serilingampally, Danam Nagender from Khairatabad, Kadiyam Srihari from Station Ghanpur and Tellam Venkat Rao from Bhadrachalam.