Telangana HC orders immediate action on pending disqualification pleas of turncoat MLAs

HYDERABAD: In an order that will raise political heat in the state over disqualifying the turncoat MLAs, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state legislature secretary, also known as the secretary to the Assembly Speaker, to place the pending disqualification pleas before the Speaker immediately and obtain a time schedule to decide them within four weeks. The judge pronounced this order after hearing the pleas of BRS and BJP seeking disqualification of BRS MLAs Danam Nagender, Tellam Venkata Rao, and Kadiyam Srihari, who had switched loyalties to Congress.

The petitions were filed in April, and it has been four weeks. Till now, we do not know the status of the pleas. Petitioners have made out a case for this court to interfere, the judge said while refraining from giving any direction to the Speaker. The judge, however, directed the legislature/Speaker's secretary to inform the status of the disqualification pleas to the HC registrar after four weeks.

The time schedule to be furnished by the Speaker's secretary should contain all the stages of the Speaker's court, right from taking up the pleas till the pronouncement of the Speaker's order on them, Justice Vijaysen said while disposing of the pleas of BRS and BJP. If the secretary fails to furnish the time schedule, then the court would suo motu reopen the pleas of the BRS and BJP parties for further hearing, the judge said.