Speaker asks Kadiyam to attend hearing today

In a significant political development, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Tuesday issued formal notices to Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari, directing him to appear for a hearing at 11 am on Wednesday. The Speaker has now issued notices to all ten members facing defection charges. BRS MLA KP Vivekananda filed the initial complaint alleging that Srihari, who won his seat on a BRS ticket, defected to the Congress party. Notices were also served to Vivekananda, requiring his presence at the same hearing scheduled for tomorrow. The Speaker is set to hear arguments from both Srihari and Vivekananda regarding the allegations.

To date, the Speaker has already granted a clean chit to seven other MLAs, ruling that they had not officially changed parties and remain affiliated with the BRS. While a petition against Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender remains under consideration, the Speaker has reserved orders on the petition against BRS MLA Sanjay Kumar. These proceedings follow a stern directive from the Supreme Court, which recently issued a final warning to Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar. The apex court has granted a two-week window to decide on the disqualification petitions involving BRS MLAs who allegedly joined the Congress.

A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice AG Masih is currently hearing the case. Previously, on 31 July, the Supreme Court had provided three months for a resolution. BRS leader Kaushik Reddy and others subsequently filed a defamation case after the initial deadline passed without a verdict. Most recently, the Speaker completed a hearing for Nagender after issuing similar notices. This hearing marks a critical phase in resolving the long-standing legal battle over legislative loyalties in the state.