HYDERABAD: A division bench of the High Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana advocate general to find out how much time would the Assembly Speaker need to dispose of pending disqualification petitions filed against some MLAs.
The bench, comprising Justice Dilip B Bhosale and Justice SV Bhatt, was dealing with petitions filed by TDP, Congress and YSRC leaders seeking a directive to the Speaker to act on their pleas seeking disqualification of certain MLAs.
Following last year’s Assembly elections, 5 MLAs of the TDP, four of the Congress and two of the YSRC have switched loyalties to the TRS. The parties have been alleging that the TRS is encouraging defections to kill opposition in the State and approached the Speaker first seeking the ‘defectors’ disqualification. With the Speaker not taking any action, they have moved the court. TDP Sanathnagar MLA T Srinivas Yadav, who joined the TRS, is now a minister in the KCR cabinet.
While adjourning the case to next week, the bench asked the AG to inform it about the time required by the ‘authorities’ in disposing of the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs.
E Dayakar Rao, Telangana TDP floor leader, in his petition filed months back when three of the party MLAs had joined the TRS, urged the court to issue a direction to the Speaker to expedite hearing on the disqualification of the trio, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Teegala Krishna Reddy and Challa Dharma Reddy. Two more TDP MLAs have joined the TRS since Rao had filed his petition in the court.
Another petitioner SA Sampath Kumar of the Congress sought disqualification of legislators Kale Yadaiah, DS Redya Naik, G Vittal Reddy and Koram Kanakaiah for joining the TRS. Petitioner Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy of the YSR Congress too sought disqualification of party MLA B Madanlal. The petitioners contended that the action of the respondent MLAs will attract the anti-defection law as they have joined the TRS without quitting their respective parties.