The chief minister said the rules governing disqualification had not changed since the BRS was in power and pointed out that Congress legislators who had joined the BRS during its tenure in power were allowed to retain their seats.
Published Mar 26, 2025 | 11:50 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 26, 2025 | 11:50 PM
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy (X)
Synopsis: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy assured that BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress need not fear disqualification, citing precedent set by the previous BRS regime. Addressing the Assembly, he highlighted how Congress defectors were protected under BRS rule, implying the same leniency would now apply in reverse, even as the Supreme Court reviews petition challenging the lack of action.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, on Wednesday, 26 March, assured that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs who defected to the ruling Congress need not fear disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Speaking in the Assembly, Reddy said the rules governing disqualification had not changed since the BRS was in power and pointed out that Congress legislators who had joined the BRS during its tenure in power were allowed to retain their seats.
“There is no reason for anyone to worry about disqualification,” he said.
“The Acts, the House, the rules governing its proceedings, and the Speaker’s office remain unchanged. They are the same as they were under the BRS regime. Since no MLA was disqualified back then, no legislator will face expulsion from the Assembly now.”
The remarks appear to be a direct response to BRS leaders, who have been calling for the ten MLAs that defected to Congress after the 2023 Assembly polls to be disqualified.
Under the anti-defection law, elected representatives can be disqualified if they switch parties.
However, the authority to decide rests with the Speaker of the House, and both the previous BRS government and the current Congress-led administration have been accused of using procedural delays to avoid action against those who joined their ranks.
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing two separate petitions – one challenging a Telangana High Court order related to three defected BRS MLAs, and another concerning seven others.
A two-justice bench comprising Justices Gavai and Augustine George Masih had earlier sought responses from the state government, the Speaker’s office, and the Election Commission about the delay in action against the defectors, LiveLaw reported.
Revanth Reddy asserted that his government is following the same conventions now as under his predecessor, K Chandrashekar Rao. He noted how Congress MLAs who joined the BRS during its rule not only faced no consequences but saw two of them taken in as ministers.
When BRS leader T Harish Rao objected to the remarks, Reddy responded that statements made inside the Assembly could not be challenged in court, and accused BRS of making political predictions “outside the House” about the fate of defected lawmakers.
“These statements cannot be reviewed or acted upon by the courts,” he said.
In a sharp retort to an opposition member who asked if he was following in the footsteps of Chandrashekar Rao, Reddy said: “I would not make such a mistake. If I did, I would end up sinking in a swamp. I will only follow the traditions set by the BRS.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
