Telangana High Court Notices to BRS Defector MLAs

Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court issued notice to BRS MLAs Tellam Venkat Rao and Kadiyam Srihari, who defected to the Congress and directed them to respond by June 5. BRS MLA K.P. Vivekanand sought a direction to the Speaker to act on the disqualification petitions that were sent by registered post and e-mail on April 10. At earlier hearing, the judge had directed the Advocate General to ensure that the petitions reached the Speaker.

The court was informed on Tuesday that the petitions had rached the Speaker’s office, and acknowledgment was also



furnished to the counsel for the petitioner. Senior counsel Gandra Mohan Rao, appearing for Vivekanand, cited Supreme Court judgments which had set a timeframe for Speakers to take a decision on disqualification petitions. Sudershan Reddy, Advocate General, said the Speaker had three months to act upon the petitions. In another petition seeking disqualification of Danam Nagender, Sri Raghuram, senior counsel, appearing for him, said the petiyion was not maintainable and cited a five -judge Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court.