Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy said the speaker is bound to take a decision on disqualification within three months as there was a Supreme Court judgment to this effect.
D Nagender joined Congress in the presence of CM Revanth Reddy
A delegation of BRS MLAs on Monday, 18 March, sought disqualification of Danam Nagender who joined the Congress after winning on BRS ticket from Khairtabad in the 30 November elections in the state.
In a representation to speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, the delegation led by Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, explained how his joining the Congress attracted the provisions of the Anti-Defection Act.
The other MLAs in the delegation were Muta Gopal (Musheerabad), Bandari Lakshma Reddy (Uppal) and Kaleru Venkatesh (Amberpet).
Nagender joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and party Telangana in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi on Sunday, 16 March.
Kaushik Reddy speaking to media persons, after submitting the presentation to the speaker, said that the speaker had told them that he would take a decision after they submitted their representation to him for Nagender’s disqualification.
Kaushik Reddy said that the Congress should honour the Anti-Defection Act and ensure that Nagender is disqualified.
He recalled Revanth Reddy, when he was in the Opposition, of saying that those who defected to other parties should be stoned, and asked if the chief minister keeps his word when BRS leaders join his party.
Kaushik Reddy wanted to know why the chief minister had admitted him to the Congress when he was against defections. He said the speaker is bound to take a decision on disqualification within three months as there was a Supreme Court judgment to this effect.
“If the BRS lifts its gates, no one would be left in the Congress,” he warned.
In a separate interaction with media, former MP and Karimnagar BRS nominee B Vinod Kumar said that the speaker would have to act on BRS’ representation within three months.
There was no way now to delay decision on such representations like in the past since the Supreme Court had directed that the speakers should dispose off the petitions within three months.
He referred to the Supreme Court directions to the Maharashtra Speaker, to take a decision within three months in regard to disqualification of Eknath Shinde group, which broke away from Shiv Sena.
“Nagender stands disqualified from the day he had joined the Congress party,” he said.
He advised the Congress not to encourage defections since the Anti-Defection Act was brought in by the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.
The Congress should always keep in mind that the BRS lost power by a very thin margin of votes and said the BRS considers staying in the Opposition is also good in a way.
When asked about the seizure of unaccounted money in Pratima Multiplex in Karimnagar, he said he cannot be held responsible if the police found money in an establishment owned by his relatives.
The Pratima Multiplex management would explain the source and the purpose of the funds, he said.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)
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