Hyderabad – Telangana Assembly Speaker G Prasad Kumar has adjourned the hearing on disqualification petitions filed against Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender until February 18, following a request from BJP floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy. The speaker’s decision means that he will miss the Supreme Court’s two-week deadline, which ends on Saturday, to dispose of the petitions filed by both BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy jointly.
In a statement, the speaker said, “On the request of the BJP MLA, I adjourned the hearing to Feb 18. Both Padi Kaushik Reddy and Maheshwar Reddy’s petitions will be heard together.”
Maheshwar Reddy, who filed an affidavit with the speaker on Friday, stated that the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) had issued a notification for municipal elections to 116 municipalities and seven corporations. He said the filing of nominations was from January 27 to 30, and the results are scheduled for February 13. Consequently, he urged the speaker to postpone the hearing until after February 20.
“As the leader of the BJP legislature party, I am busy with the ongoing urban local bodies elections. I received notices from the speaker on January 28 asking me to appear for a hearing on January 30. I am in my assembly constituency now, and have to tour the entire state for campaigning. I may not attend the tribunal hearing until the completion of municipal chairpersons and mayors’ elections,” Maheshwar Reddy said.
Meanwhile, the BRS’ advocates reportedly submitted their affidavits to the speaker seeking the disqualification of Nagender, stating that he switched loyalties to the Congress and even contested on a Congress ticket from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections. They also produced newspaper and video clippings as evidence.
Nagender, who filed an affidavit with the speaker a couple of weeks ago, claimed that he was with the BRS and that the party came to the conclusion based on some newspaper reports.
