The Supreme Court of India, in a verdict delivered on July 31, 2025, has directed the Telangana Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, to decide within three months on disqualification petitions against 10 MLAs who were elected as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidates in the November 2023 Assembly elections, but later defected to the Congress.
These petitions, originally filed by BRS leaders, were stalled by a stay order from the Telangana High Court—but the Supreme Court has now set that stay aside, reinstating the disqualification process.
Names of the 10 MLAs involved:
T Prakash Goud (Rajendranagar), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada), Danam Nagender (Khairatabad), Kale Yadaiah (Chevella), Dr Sanjay Kumar (Jagtial), Kadiam Srihari (Station Ghanpur), Tellam Venkat Rao (Bhadrachalam), Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy (Gadwal), Arekapudi Gandhi (Serilingampally) — though the Gadwal MLA reportedly returned to the BRS.
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Background & Legal Context
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The ten MLAs were elected as BRS members in the 2023 Telangana Assembly polls, later shifting allegiance to Congress in early 2024
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Since they represent fewer than two-thirds of BRS’s legislative strength, they do not qualify for anti-defection protections under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule
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The SC emphasized that the anti-defection mechanism, under the Tenth Schedule, relies on timely decisions by Speakers—delays defeat that intent
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The top court also urged Parliament to reconsider whether the Tenth Schedule, which assigns disqualification power to Speakers, is still effective given frequent delays
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The Court further clarified that Speakers do not enjoy constitutional immunity when deciding such petitions, allowing for judicial review if required
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Political Fallout
For BRS:
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Viewed as a significant victory. K.T. Rama Rao called it a “slap in the face” for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing Congress of bypassing constitutional norms
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Party leaders affirmed they are prepared to contest bypolls in the affected seats immediately
For Congress:
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The development is a political setback for CM Revanth Reddy, who had previously claimed there would be no by-elections, even if defections occurred
Why It’s a Setback for CM Revanth Reddy
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In March 2025, CM A. Revanth Reddy had confidently declared there would be no bypolls even if the defected MLAs were disqualified—statements the Supreme Court later strongly rebuked
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The BRS described the court’s ruling as a “slap in the face” of Reddy’s leadership and challenged Congress to uphold the constitutional values it campaigns on, especially given Rahul Gandhi’s advocacy for anti-defection reforms
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With the High Court’s interim stay overturned, the BRS is poised to press for swift disqualifications, prompting potential by-elections in 10 constituencies — a scale of electoral event not seen since the Telangana statehood movement
