Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad ‘starts’ the process of notices to ‘defected’ MLAs

Hyderabad

The process of seeking explanations over the defection charges on 10 MLAs from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who ‘switched’ over to the Congress, has started with the Speaker’s office starting to send letters.

Sources said that Speaker Gaddam Prasad is consulting several legal experts after the Supreme Court set a deadline of three months to decide on the defection notices sent by the BRS.

The Supreme Court, on July 25, said that the Speaker must take a decision within three months, based on the BRS petititon seeking disqualification.

The Speaker’s office, mindful of the sensitivity, started the process of issuing disqualification notices under the anti-defection law, according to highly placed sources. The notices have to be personally delivered to the members in a sealed cover to maintain the secrecy as the issue is complex with constitutional processes involved.

What is the likely scenario if the Speaker issues notices to them now? The MLAs will have to respond, giving their version, either accepting the charges or denying the same. After receiving the letters, the Speaker can take a decision or may seek further clarifications, sources said.

Grey zone?

If the written clarifications from the MLAs insist that they only “distanced themselves” from BRS without joining Congress, disqualification proceedings may enter a grey zone. To overcome the three-month deadline, the Speaker’s office may challenge the deadline itself after starting the process.

Though the opinion is divided on the Speaker’s powers being encroached upon by the judiciary, the Speaker is likely to take a non-confrontational path and seek an extension of time from the Supreme Court. There would be enough reasons for him to stretch the issue without annoying the apex court, is the opinion of senior legal experts.

The defection controversy gained traction after a few BRS MLAs met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in what he called a normal practice of MLAs meeting to seek funds for Constituency development. Some of them were offered Congress scarves and photographs released to the media, though some MLAs claimed their meeting was related to development and nothing to do with shifting the parties.

The BRS legislators, accused of switching loyalties, have been sitting separately in the Assembly, signalling a move away from their party. The Chief Minister gave a stamp of authority to their ‘induction’ in the ruling party, when questioned on the “fate of these MLAs” due to the legal issues, stating that “the same would happen that happened in the last 10 years.”