HYDERABAD: BRS MLA and former minister T Harish Rao objected to the appointment of BRS MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy as chief whip in the State Legislative Council stating that it was against the provisions of the Constitution.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, he tried to expose the discrepancy in official records about the designation of Patnam Mahender Reddy.
“Despite an official bulletin on March 15 confirming the appointment, the government orders for key events on August 15 (Independence Day) and September 17 (Public Governance Day) referred to Mahender Reddy only as an MLC,” Harish Rao pointed out.
“According to the Gazette Notification (No 160-I) issued by Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari on March 15, 2024, Mahender Reddy was officially appointed as chief whip. However, the government order (GO Rt No: 1075) issued on August 13 for Independence Day celebrations recognised Mahender Reddy as an MLC, ignoring his role as chief whip. The same oversight occurred in the order (GO Rt No: 1213) issued on September 11 for Public Governance Day,” he said.
Harish Rao pointed out that on both August 15 and September 17, Mahender Reddy raised the national flag in his capacity as an MLC, despite the notification appointing him as chief whip months earlier. He wanted to know why Mahender Reddy’s position as chief whip wasn’t acknowledged in the official orders for these events.
Citing parliamentary procedure, Harish Rao referred to MN Kaul and SL Shakdher’s Practice and Procedure of Parliament (page 158), which clearly states that whips must be selected from the members of their party.
“How can Congress appoint a BRS MLC as their chief whip? This violates parliamentary norms and is yet another example of Congress, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, undermining the Constitution,” he said.
Meanwhile, during in an informal chat with reporters, Harish Rao termed the appointment of Mahender Reddy as chief whip as unconstitutional. “This raises a fundamental question: who exactly will Mahender Reddy issue the whip to — members of the ruling party or the Opposition?” he wondered.
“Will he follow the whip issued by the BRS, or will he issue his own? The whip is responsible for enforcing party discipline. If someone from the Opposition is appointed as chief whip, to which party will they issue the whip?,” he asked.
“Now, the whip might end up issuing directives to the sitting chief whip. It’s yet another example of how the Constitution was being violated under the Congress rule,” he added.
Harish also said: “A disqualification petition against Mahender Reddy was still pending before the Council chairman, and it was the Tribunal chairman’s responsibility to decide on the matter. Given this, how can the Council Chairman issue a bulletin appointing Mahender Reddy as chief whip?”