HYDERABAD: A delegation of BRS MLAs on Monday met Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and urged him to disqualify Danam Nagender as a member of the Assembly.
Nagender, who was elected to the Assembly on a BRS ticket, joined the Congress two days ago.
BRS MLAs Padi Kaushik Reddy, Kaleru Venkatesh, Muta Gopal and Bandaru Laxma Reddy met Prasad Kumar at his residence in Hyderabad and submitted a petition seeking Nagender’s disqualification.
After the meeting, Kaushik Reddy told reporters that if the BRS opens its gates, the Congress “will not survive”. He asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to explain why he was encouraging defections.
“In the past, Revanth taunted Danam Nagender by saying he sold beedis in Punjagutta. Now will the chief minister make Nagender sell beedis again,” the BRS MLA asked.
Elsewhere, former MP B Vinod Kumar said that the Speaker had no option but to disqualify Nagender. He recalled that recently, the Supreme Court ordered the Maharashtra Speaker to take a decision on disqualification petitions within three months. He asked Prasad Kumar to take an early decision and respect the Constitution.
Vinod Kumar recalled that the Anti-Defection Act was enacted in 1985 when the late Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. “Congress leaders should not encourage defections if they have any respect for Rajiv Gandhi,” he said.