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Published Oct 14, 2024 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 14, 2024 | 2:00 PM
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
Strange are the ways of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He has appointed a BRS MLC to enforce discipline among Congress ranks.
Why did Revanth Reddy appoint BRS MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy as the chief whip of the government in the Telangana Legislative Council? The idea it seems, is to confound and weaken the BRS.
When the chief minister appointed BRS MLA Arikepudi Gandhi as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Congress justified it as a tradition of letting the position go to the Opposition. But Gandhi had by then joined the Congress and since he has not yet been disqualified, he continues to be a BRS lawmaker though he is always seen with Revanth Reddy.
Now, with the appointment of Mahender Reddy as the Chief Whip, another interesting situation has emerged. Like Gandhi, he too has joined the Congress but technically he is still a BRS MLC since he has not been disqualified.
The irony is that he would have to ensure discipline among the Congress legislators and make them vote for the government when any issue is put to voting in the House.
But the fact remains that he had violated the BRS diktat and joined the Congress. Now, technically it would be a BRS lawmaker who would be telling the Congress MLCs not to cross the Lakshman Rekha when he had committed the same offence by joining the Congress.
Interestingly, the man who would enforce discipline among the Congress legislators is facing a disqualification threat. The BRS petition to this effect is pending before the council chairman. Ironically, the same chairman had issued a bulletin appointing Mahender Reddy as the Chief Whip.
