Procedural lapses dent Telangana Assembly credibility, says BRS MLA Harish Rao in open letter to Speaker

Bharat Rashtra Saimithi (BRS) senior leader and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao has faulted the functioning of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, claiming that several ‘serious procedural lapses’ are harming the credibility of the legislative body. He also stressed the need to constitute all House committees immediately, besides the appointment of the Deputy Speaker.

In an open letter to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Sunday (December 7, 2025), Mr. Rao detailed several procedural lapses that, he says, have adversely impacted the functioning of the Assembly in two years.

The former minister also raised concerns over the alleged inaction by the Speaker on defected MLAs, urging him to dispose of all pending disqualification petitions in accordance with constitutional, statutory, and judicial requirements.

Mr. Rao also lamented the reduction of the working days of the House, pointing out that Rule 12 mandates conducting sessions for as many days as necessary for legislative business. “Ensure that the Assembly functions for at least 30 working days in a year,” he said, adding that the process for the election of Deputy Speaker must be initiated.

The BRS leader also criticised the reported adjournments without ‘valid reasons’, which, he said, contravened Rule 13 on session timings and Rule 16 on adjournment procedures. Mr. Rao also questioned the holding of Question Hour and Zero Hour during the session, stating that starred questions were not being considered and supplementary questions were not answered.

Calling for urgent reforms, the BRS MLA stressed the need to adhere to rules to uphold the dignity of democratic institutions.