Hyderabad: MLAs from BRS, Congress, and BJP are now focused on clearing their names with the police and courts before the upcoming Assembly elections. With the elections approaching quickly, legislators from all parties are seeking legal advice to address any pending cases that could potentially affect their political careers or personal reputation.
Sources indicate that most of these cases are relatively minor. Around 90 out of 119 MLAs are facing charges in various cases. These charges include participating in protests, violating government orders, causing disturbances at ministers’ and officials’ residences, and more. Some BRS MLAs are still dealing with cases from the Telangana agitation prior to 2014.
According to the ADR survey, 50 out of 88 MLAs from TRS, 14 out of 19 from Congress, six out of seven from AIMIM, two from TDP, and one BJP MLA have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits during the 2018 elections. Now, these legislators are making every effort to clear their names with the police and courts.
For example, BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao was recently booked by Hyderabad police for sharing a photo of a rape victim on social media. He was charged under Section 228-A of the IPC. BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy and a few others were also booked by Banjara Hills police for allegedly threatening and confining a farmer to a room. Congress MLA Sitakka faced charges for violating lockdown norms during the Covid pandemic. Many sitting MLAs are dealing with similar cases and have hired legal professionals to address them before the Election Commission issues its notification.
The upcoming Assembly elections will be a significant challenge for these sitting MLAs.
