HC fiat to Speaker on turncoats lands Congress in tight spot
HYDERABAD: The BRS appears to have gained an upper hand over the Congress with the Telangana High Court directing the Assembly Speaker to take a decision on the disqualification petitions against three pink party MLAs within four weeks.
The development has kindled interest on what Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud’s next move would be.
The high court’s decision has led to speculation that no more MLAs in the BRS would dare to join the Congress. Apart from the three MLAs about whom the HC has given direction to the Speaker, the other seven MLAs who have joined the Congress later are worried over what lies in store for them.
The 10 turncoat MLAs on whom the Sword of Damocles is hanging are looking to the Congress leadership to protect them.
If the Assembly Speaker does not take any decision, and in all probability he might not, the BRS might go to the high court. The party leaders are also discussing the possibility of approaching the Supreme Court, which had issued an order in the past in the case of defection of Shiv Sena MLAs.
As the high court order has gone against its interests, the Congress is considering ways to get out of the mess.
The three turncoat MLAs Kadiyam Srihari, Danam Nagender and Tellam Venkat Rao will now have to appear before the Speaker in connection with hearings on their disqualification.
The other seven MLAs who joined the Congress after the petition against the three MLAs was filed in the high court
are: Arekapudi Gandhi, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, T Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Kale Yadaiah and Sanjay Kumar.
The BRS is now contemplating exerting more pressure on the Speaker to disqualify the three MLAs and depending on his decision, the party will take the next step in respect of the turncoat MLAs.
The BRS leaders, including T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao, are turning the heat on the Congress by making serious allegations against the party’s top leader Rahul Gandhi that he was allowing defections in Telangana while professing to be the upholder of the Indian Constitution.