Telangana Mla’s disqualification saga: Kadiyam seeks more time from Speaker
Kadiyam Srihari
Hyderabad: KadiyamSrihari, the Station Ghanpur MLA who is facing disqualification charges, met Speaker Gaddam Prasad on Friday and requested more time to respond to the notices.
The Speaker had recently issued fresh notices to Kadiyam Srihari and DanamNagender, directing them to appear for a hearing on 23 November. A day after receiving the notice, Kadiyam Srihari met Speaker Prasad and sought an extension to prepare his explanation. It is understood that the Speaker responded positively to this request.
Meanwhile, suspense continues over whether the Khairatabad MLA DanamNagender will attend the hearing on 23 November as per the Speaker's notice.
The Speaker has already completed the hearing for eight of the ten BRS MLAs facing disqualification charges following their defection to the Congress party. As Nagender and Srihari had not responded to the Speaker's earlier notices, fresh summons were issued, requiring them to appear for the hearing on 23 November.
The Speaker is facing mounting pressure to take a decision as directed by the Supreme Court. The Apex Court's deadline to complete the hearing of the MLAs' disqualification petitions within three months expired on 31 October. As the Speaker failed to complete the hearing and announce a decision within the deadline, the BRS recently filed a contempt petition against him in the Supreme Court. The Speaker, in turn, filed a petition seeking an eight-week extension for the hearing.
However, the Supreme Court, upon hearing the petitions, expressed its displeasure with the Speaker, making strong remarks and asking him to decide where he would like to spend his New Year’s Eve. It then issued notices to the respondents, directing them to reply within four weeks, and adjourned the hearing for four weeks.
DanamNagender, who travelled to Delhi a day earlier, is scheduled to return to Hyderabad on Saturday. Speculation suggests he may meet the Speaker, with rumours circulating that he might resign and opt for a fresh election.