In a crucial judgment, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker to decide within three months on the disqualification petitions of MLAs who switched parties. The ruling, which overturned the Telangana High Court’s Division Bench decision, emphasized that the disqualification should not be imposed automatically. The apex court dismissed the argument to implement the “Operation Success… Patient Died” principle, stating that it does not apply in this case. It also recommended that Parliament should introduce specific laws to address the issue of party defections by elected representatives.
The disqualification petitions were filed by the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, along with several of its key members including KTR, and MLAs such as Padikoushik Reddy, KP Vivekanand, G. Jagadeesh Reddy, Pallara Rajeshwar Reddy, Chinta Prabhakar, Kalvakuntla Sanjay, and BJP’s Eleti Maheshwar Reddy. The case, which was first presented to the Supreme Court on January 15, 2024, has been deliberated nine times, with multiple rounds of hearings.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, heard arguments from both sides before reserving its judgment on April 3. After a lengthy legal process, the final decision was delivered today, marking a significant moment in Telangana’s political landscape. The ruling requires the Speaker to act swiftly and in accordance with constitutional guidelines, with widespread implications for the political future of the affected MLAs.
