Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued notices to 10 MLAs of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, who defected to the Congress without formally resigning from their original party following the 2023 Assembly elections. The move has sparked legal scrutiny, raising questions about the legitimacy of their positions as elected representatives.
The defected MLAs who received court notices include:
- Danam Nagender (Khairatabad)
- Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy (Gadwal)
- Kadiam Srihari (Ghanpur)
- Tellam Venkat Rao (Bhadradri Kothagudem)
- Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada)
- Kale Yadiah (Chevella)
- T Prakash Goud (Rajendra Nagar)
- M Sanjay Kumar (Jagityal)
- Gudem Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru)
- Arekapudi Gandhi (Serilingampally)
Legal Challenge Over Defection
These MLAs switched allegiances to the Congress Party soon after the 2023 Assembly elections but did not resign from their positions as BRS legislators. This led to allegations of violation of anti-defection laws, which mandate that any elected representative who joins another party must first resign from their current office.
The High Court’s decision to issue notices is in response to a petition questioning the legality of the MLAs holding office without resigning after defecting. The court has asked the concerned MLAs to respond and explain their stance.
Political Impact
The defection of these 10 MLAs has caused political ripples in Telangana, particularly for the ruling BRS party. The party is now seeking legal recourse to disqualify the defected members from their legislative positions. The Congress Party, on the other hand, sees these defections as an advantage ahead of the upcoming elections, but faces criticism for encouraging such moves.
This legal battle could have significant implications for both parties and may alter the political landscape in Telangana as the state gears up for another election cycle. The Telangana High Court is expected to hear the responses from the defected MLAs in the coming weeks.
