Telangana Speaker dismisses disqualification petitions against 5 MLAs

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 18 (ANI): The Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, acting as the Chairman of the Tribunal under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, dismissed disqualification petitions filed against five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) after examining their merits.
According to an official press note issued by the Telangana State Legislature Secretariat on Wednesday, the disqualification petitions were filed under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India and the Members of Telangana Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1986. The petitions sought to disqualify certain MLAs for voluntarily resigning from their respective political parties.
The press note stated that the Speaker, after examining the petitions, considering the material placed on record, and strictly adhering to the principles of natural justice by granting adequate opportunity to hear all concerned parties, pronounced his decision on five petitions.
The petitions included cases filed by MLA KP Vivekanand against MLA Dr. Tellam Venkata Rao; MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and another against MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy; MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay against MLA T. Prakash Goud; MLA Chinta Prabhakar against MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy; and another petition by MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay against MLA Arekapudi Gandhi.
"After considering the merits of the above petitions, the Hon'ble Speaker and the Chairman, Tribunal, hereby dismissed them," the press note said.
The Legislature Secretariat added that uploading detailed orders related to the disqualification petitions on the official website of the Telangana Legislative Assembly is currently underway.
The decision, for now, brings closure to the pending defection-related cases before the Speaker under the anti-defection law. (ANI)