HC directs ‘defected’ MLAs to file counters by May 6

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the 10 MLAs who won on a BRS ticket in the 2023 Assembly election and later allegedly defected to the ruling Congress party to file their counters by May 6.The bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin passed the directions while hearing petitions of BRS MLAs challenging the Assembly Speaker's decision. The Speaker dismissed disqualification petitions filed by BRS MLAs against the defected MLAs.During an earlier hearing of the petitions, the high court issued notices to all the 10 MLAs. On Thursday, their counsel appeared before the bench and sought time to file counters.Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy appeared for the state in one of the petitions and Tulsi Raj Gokul, standing counsel for Telangana State Legislature, appeared for the Assembly speaker.Initially, the bench allowed three weeks for the respondent MLAs to file their counters and three more weeks for the petitioners to file their replies to the counters and opined on posting the matter to June after completion of the court's summer vacation.However, the petitioners' counsel alleged that the respondents might not file counters and seek time on the next date of hearing and urged the bench to fix a date for the counters."After the Supreme Court said three months (in MLAs disqualification matters), they (state and the Speaker) took one year. Several of them would not file counters and may seek time," one of the petitioners' counsel contended.Taking note of the same, the bench directed the counters be filed "positively by May 6," and adjourned the hearing to May 6. Initially, when the disqualification petitions against the defected MLAs were not disposed of, BRS MLAs moved the Supreme Court, which directed the Speaker to dispose of the petitions and subsequently initiated contempt proceedings against the Speaker. However, after the Speaker disposed of all the petitions, dismissing them for lack of evidence, the apex court disposed of the matters before it.