SC to hear BRS MLAs’ defection case

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the defection case involving BRS MLAs who joined the Congress on Friday, even as Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has given a clean chit to eight of the ten MLAs facing disqualification petitions.

BRS leaders, including Padi Kaushik Reddy and others, approached the Supreme Court after an adverse verdict in the High Court, seeking the disqualification of 10 MLAs who were elected on BRS tickets but later defected to the Congress party.

After hearing the matter on multiple occasions, the Apex Court had given the Speaker a final opportunity to decide on the disqualification petitions, granting him two weeks’ time.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of the State government, had sought four weeks’ time to decide the matter. The Supreme Court observed that it could consider granting four weeks, if necessary, but ultimately limited the Speaker’s time to two weeks.

Meanwhile, BJPLP leader A Maheshwar Reddy has also filed a contempt of court petition seeking the disqualification of the MLAs who joined the Congress.