Decide on disqualification petitions against BRS MLAs in reasonable time: HC

The Telangana High Court on Friday said the Speaker of the state Legislative Assembly must decide on the disqualification petitions against three BRS MLAs, who had joined the ruling Congress, within a “reasonable time”.

A Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao set aside an earlier order passed by a single judge of the HC that the Assembly Secretary should place the disqualification petitions of BRS MLAs–Danam Nagender, Tellam Venkat Rao and Kadiyam Srihari, before the Speaker.

“The Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly must decide the disqualification petitions filed by the writ petitioners within a reasonable time,” the bench said.

The HC further said it is needless to state that the Speaker while dealing with the disqualification petitions shall bear in mind the concept of reasonable time, by taking into account the period of pendency of the disqualification petitions and tenure of the Assembly.

The petitioners–BRS MLAs K P Vivekanand and P Kaushik Reddy and BJP floor leader in Assembly Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, had approached the High Court seeking direction to the Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions of the three BRS MLAs, that were earlier filed before the Speaker.

The single judge of the High Court on September 9 directed the Secretary of Telangana Legislative Assembly to forthwith place the disqualification petition before the Speaker for fixing a schedule of hearing within a period of four weeks.

The court had then directed to communicate the schedule so fixed to the Registrar (Judicial) of the HC.

It was also directed that in case no communication is received from the Secretary the matter will be reopened ‘suo motu’ and appropriate orders shall be passed.

Subsequently, assembly secretary had challenged the single judge order.