Hyderabad: G Prasad Kumar, the Speaker of the Telangana Assembly, will restart the hearings on disqualification requests against rebel MLAs on Friday, October 24.
Before going on an official trip, the Speaker listened to the arguments of four MLAs accused of defection. He plans to finish all hearings between October 24 and 30, allowing both parties to examine each other’s claims.
The BRS filed petitions to disqualify ten MLAs who joined the Congress. The Supreme Court instructed the Speaker to wrap up these hearings within three months, with the deadline on October 31.
Initially, the hearings ended on October 2. Sources reveal that BRS is preparing to file another petition against Khairatabad MLA D. Nagender, who campaigned for Congress in the Jubilee Hills by-election. The party will provide evidence of Nagender’s ties to Congress, including his candidacy in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
BRS asked the Speaker to disqualify ten MLAs who switched to Congress over the last year and a half. Eight MLAs responded with written statements and affidavits, while D. Nagender and Kadiam Srihari requested more time. The Speaker agreed but set no deadline.
According to Assembly sources, the hearings are private, only attended by the involved MLAs and their lawyers.
The process started on September 29 with hearings for B Krishna Mohan Reddy (Gadwal), G Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru), K Yadaiah (Chevella), and P Prakash Reddy (Rajendranagar). Hearings for Mahipal Reddy and Krishna Mohan Reddy are reportedly done.
The rebel MLAs claim they didn’t officially join Congress, stating they only met with chief minister Revanth Reddy to discuss local projects. However, BRS provided video evidence of their defection.
Speaker Prasad is expected to announce his decision on these cases by the end of the month.
