Praja Shanthi Party chief Dr K A Paul challenges the Telangana Assembly Speaker’s order on alleged defections, citing violation of anti-defection law and Supreme Court contempt proceedings.
New Delhi | Thursday, December 18, 2025
Praja Shanthi Party President and global humanitarian Dr K A Paul on Thursday announced that he has filed a petition in the Telangana High Court challenging the Assembly Speaker’s decision to dismiss disqualification pleas in the alleged defection case involving Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators. He also demanded the Speaker’s resignation, calling the order unconstitutional and contrary to established judicial directions.
Addressing a press conference at Andhra Bhawan in New Delhi, Dr Paul said the Speaker’s ruling undermines the spirit of the anti-defection law enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. He alleged that the decision reduced defection to a narrow technical issue while ignoring the public political conduct and activities of the legislators concerned.
On Wednesday, Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar dismissed the disqualification petitions, stating that there was no conclusive evidence of party switching. The order granted relief to five BRS MLAs—Arekapudi Gandhi, Tellam Venkata Rao, Banda Krishnamohan, T Prakash Goud, and Gudem Mahipal Reddy.
Dr Paul pointed out that the Speaker’s decision was delivered while the matter remains under judicial consideration by the Supreme Court. He recalled that on July 31, a bench led by then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai had directed the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions against 10 MLAs within a fixed three-month timeline. Later, on November 17, the apex court issued a contempt notice to the Speaker, terming the failure to act within the stipulated period as the “grossest kind of contempt.”
According to Dr Paul, any order passed in disregard of binding Supreme Court directions raises serious concerns about constitutional propriety and institutional accountability. He emphasized that the Speaker is constitutionally obligated to function strictly within the framework laid down by the apex court.
He also referred to disqualification matters that are still pending before the Speaker, including the case of Danam Nagender, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad on a Congress ticket, and Kadiyam Srihari, who allegedly campaigned for his daughter, a Congress candidate, during the parliamentary polls.
Dr Paul stated that his petition seeks the disqualification of all 10 MLAs elected on the BRS ticket in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections who are accused of switching allegiance to the Congress in 2024. He added that he would continue to pursue all available legal remedies to ensure adherence to Supreme Court directives and to safeguard constitutional principles under the Tenth Schedule.
