The Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted additional time to respondent MLAs to file their counter affidavits in a batch of writ petitions challenging alleged defections from the BRS to the Congress.
The matter has been adjourned to June 25, 2026. A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin was hearing petitions filed by seven BRS legislators challenging orders of the Speaker rejecting disqualification petitions against MLAs elected on BRS tickets in the 2023 Assembly elections who were later accused of defecting to the Congress.
The petitioners include Kalvakuntla Sanjay, KP Vivekanand, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Padi Koushik Reddy and G Jagadish Reddy. They challenged the dismissal of disqualification pleas against Arekapudi Gandhi, T Prakash Goud, T Venkata Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, Danam Nagender and P Srinivas Reddy.
They sought to set aside the Speaker’s orders and impose consequences on the alleged defectors, including recovery of salaries and benefits received after April 23, 2024.
They referred to earlier proceedings, including directions issued by a single judge and subsequent orders of the Supreme Court, which had fixed October 31, 2025, as the deadline for concluding the disqualification proceedings.