Telangana Speaker dismisses disqualification pleas against two more MLAs

Telangana Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, dismissed the disqualification petitions filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) against two of its legislators, Chevella MLA Kale Yadaiah and Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, who were accused of having switched allegiance to the ruling Congress.

“I have issued orders dismissing the disqualification petitions filed against Kale Yadaiah and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy by the BRS,” the Speaker said, according to official sources.

Following the latest orders, disqualification petitions against three other MLAs, Kadiyam Srihari, Danam Nagendar and M. Sanjay Kumar remain pending before the Speaker.

The Speaker has so far rejected disqualification pleas against seven of the 10 BRS legislators — facing allegations of defections under the anti-defection law. In December, the Speaker dismissed similar petitions against five BRS MLAs, Tellam Venkat Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, T. Prakash Goud, Gudem Mahipal Reddy and Arekapudi Gandhi.

Earlier, the Speaker had issued notices to 10 MLAs named in the petitions filed by the BRS Legislators, alleging that they had defected to the Congress after the 2023 Assembly elections.

The BRS approached the Supreme Court alleging that the Speaker was not initiating any action against the defected MLAs despite repeated petitions. The Supreme Court, on November 17, 2025, issued a contempt notice to the Telangana Speaker for not complying with its directive to decide expeditiously on the disqualification pleas against the BRS MLAs who allegedly shifted to the Congress.

KTR reacts to the Speaker’s decision

The BRS working president, K T Rama Rao, accused the Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of backing defectors “without shame” and of making a mockery of the Constitution at every step. He alleged that political pressure exerted by the Congress has ‘corrupted’ the Speaker’s institution, which, it said, was duty-bound to disqualify MLAs Mr. Yadaiah and Mr. Srinivas Reddy who shifted allegiance.

The former Minister recalled that similar pressure tactics were employed in the past to prevent action against five other MLAs who shifted parties, terming such forces ‘undemocratic’ and accusing them of burying constitutional values. He maintained that despite “overwhelming and visible evidence” of MLAs changing parties, claims of lack of proof amounted to an insult to the sanctity of the Legislative Assembly itself.

Linking the issue to recent political developments, the BRS said the Congress’s ‘poor performance’ in the recently held Panchayat elections had left it fearful of facing by-elections in the constituencies of the defecting MLAs. According to the BRS, this fear was evident in what it described as repeated attempts to protect the ‘turncoat’ legislators.

KTR said the MLAs had already lost public legitimacy and they had long since become “former representatives” in the court of the people.

Reiterating its resolve, he said the party would continue its agitation until those who “betrayed the people’s mandate” and the Chief Minister who publicly endorsed them are held accountable. The BRS party vowed to intensify its struggle, both politically and legally, to defend democratic and constitutional values.

The Congress, however, has maintained that the Speaker is acting strictly in accordance with constitutional provisions and precedents, and has dismissed the BRS allegations as politically motivated.