These remarks quickly triggered political uproar. BRS accused Reddy of openly endorsing defections and undermining democratic processes.
Published Aug 31, 2025 | 12:50 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2025 | 12:50 PM
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy
Synopsis: This is not the first time that Reddy has supported defections from other parties into the Congress. The chief minister, who has a history of party-switching himself from TDP to Congress in 2017, has proved to be a loose cannon when it came to defections.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who came under flak for supporting defections in the past, has once again sparked a row by extending an invitation to former BRS minister and incumbent party MLA from Karimangar Gangula Kamalakar to join the Congress.
Intervening in a debate in Telanagna Assembly on Sunday, 31 August, on extending reservations to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections, Reddy said, “Kamalakar, as a BC leader, supported the bill being brought by the government. But he is afraid of his leaders whose ‘bellies are full of venom’ against the BCs.”
By saying so, Reddy was purportedly taking potshots at BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, working president KTR, and former minister T Harish Rao.
The debate was on a bill that the government had introduced for amending the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, to do away with the ceiling on total reservations to be provided to various castes in the local body elections.
This would facilitate the Congress to honour its promise to the BCs that it would provide 42 percent reservations to them. Under the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, only 23 percent of seats are reserved for the BCs in the local bodies.
Looking at Kamalakar, Reddy said, “I can understand your problem. Don’t be afraid of your leaders. Do not surrender to them on BC reservations. Do not be afraid. If anything happens, I am here to protect you. I will take care of all your needs.”
The chief minister also recalled their friendship when they were in the TDP. “Don’t forget we are good friends and do not come under the pressure of your bosses in the BRS,” he said.
This is not the first time that Reddy has supported defections from other parties into the Congress. The chief minister, who has a history of party-switching himself from TDP to Congress in 2017, has proved to be a loose cannon when it came to defections.
The Supreme Court criticised him for his remarks in the Assembly in support of defections, with the apex court terming his comments a “mockery” of the Constitution’s anti-defection law.
On 26 March, during the budget discussions in the Assembly, Reddy said: “No by-elections will happen. Even if the Opposition MLAs want a by-election, it won’t happen,” apparently to reassure the MLAS who defected to the Congress from BRS.
These remarks quickly triggered political uproar. BRS accused Reddy of openly endorsing defections and undermining democratic processes. However, the matter turned serious when it reached the Supreme Court.
On 2 April, the Supreme Court objected to Reddy’s words. The bench said that statements of this nature, especially when made on the floor of the Assembly, amounted to ridiculing the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the disqualification of legislators for defection.
“Your Hon’ble Chief Minister is making a mockery of the anti-defection law,” the bench observed.
The rebuke did not stop there. On 3 and 4 April, the apex court reiterated its displeasure, questioning whether it had erred by previously refraining from initiating contempt proceedings against Revanth Reddy.
“Having experienced it on an earlier occasion, was your chief minister not expected to exercise restraint? Did we commit a mistake by letting him off that time?” the court asked pointedly.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
