HYDERABAD
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is expecting severe action against its MLC Tata Madhusudhan, popularly known as Tata Madhu, who has been at the centre of a controversy over alleged abusive remarks against Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
The BRS has issued a three-line whip directing all its MLCs to mandatorily attend the Legislative Council proceedings on September 8 and participate in the discussions. The members have been instructed to vote strictly in accordance with the party’s policy, failing which they could face action under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The government’s mood echoed in the Assembly when Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and all the Dalit MLAs demanded that Mr Madhu be expelled for the unpardonable remarks made against the Speaker.
The developments have brought back memories of a similar confrontation during the previous BRS regime in 2018, when Congress MLAs Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and S.A. Sampath Kumar were expelled from the Assembly following allegations that they had thrown papers at then Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud, resulting in an injury to his eye.
The incident occurred during the Governor’s address to the combined Legislatures at the start of the Budget session. They were expelled the very next day by the then Speaker Madhusudana Chary after the government moved a motion.
The Congress leaders had contested the action and the episode remained a major political flashpoint. After their expulsion the government ensured a notification was issued for the bypolls immediately. However, it was stayed by the High Court.
The latest controversy comes against the backdrop of a significant erosion in the BRS’s strength in the Legislative Council following a series of defections to the Congress. In July 2024, a major batch of six BRS MLCs joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, strengthening the ruling party’s position in the 40-member Council.
Among the prominent BRS MLCs who subsequently shifted allegiance to the Congress were T. Bhanu Prasad Rao, Dande Vittal, Baswaraj Saraiah, M.S. Prabhakar Rao, Yegge Mallesham and Boggarapu Dayanand. Patnam Mahender Reddy and K. Damodar Reddy were also among the BRS MLCs who crossed over to the ruling party.
Against this backdrop, the three-line whip assumes significance as the BRS seeks to ensure that its members remain present and vote in accordance with the party’s stand if there is any disciplinary action against Mr Tata Madhu.
Published – September 08, 2026 06:51 pm IST
