Hyderabad: Political dynamics in Telangana have intensified following a Supreme Court directive that may lead to by-elections in up to 12 Assembly constituencies.
The court, ruling on petitions filed by BRS leaders KTR, Kaushik Reddy, KP Vivekananda, Jagadish Reddy, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Chinta Prabhakar, Kalvakuntla Sanjay, and BJP leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, instructed the state Assembly Speaker to decide within three months on the disqualification of 10 MLAs. These legislators had won on the BRS symbol before defecting to the Congress party.
BRS working president KTR welcomed the verdict, thanking the bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih for protecting democratic principles. He urged party cadres to prepare for elections. Meanwhile, senior BRS leader Harish Rao questioned Rahul Gandhi on whether the Congress leader would enforce the anti-defection law introduced by his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The defected MLAs include Tellam Venkatrao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Danam Nagender, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Arekapudi Gandhi, Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy, Dr. Sanjay, Kale Yadayya, Prakash Goud, and Kadiyam Srihari. Despite repeated complaints from BRS, the Speaker had not acted, prompting the party to approach the Supreme Court.
Should the Speaker rule on disqualification, by-elections would be required in these 10 constituencies, as well as Jubilee Hills, where MLA Maganti Gopinath’s death left the seat vacant, and Goshamahal, where BJP MLA Raja Singh’s potential resignation could trigger another poll. This would bring the total number of by-elections to 12, covering constituencies such as Bhadrachalam, Banswada, Khairatabad, Patancheru, Serilingampally, Gadwal, Jagtial, Chevella, Rajendranagar, and Ghanpur (Station).
Political observers note that the court’s deadline may not be binding on the Speaker, referencing past cases, including Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena split, where similar rulings were delayed in implementation. Congress is reportedly considering having Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender resign voluntarily to avoid automatic disqualification, as he contested a parliamentary seat under the Congress banner without resigning from BRS.
The Supreme Court’s directive has set the stage for a critical three-month period that could significantly reshape Telangana’s political landscape.