Hyderabad- The Telangana Assembly Secretary has issued notices to 10 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs who defected to the Congress party, responding to BRS petitions seeking their disqualification. This development follows a recent Supreme Court directive asking the Assembly to define a "reasonable period" for deciding on disqualification pleas. The MLAs have requested additional time to respond to the notices.

The legal process has gained momentum after the Supreme Court's intervention, with Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran instructing Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi to consult with the Speaker regarding an appropriate timeframe for decisions. The court has combined two petitions - one filed by BRS MLA P. Kaushik Reddy concerning three defected MLAs and another by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao regarding seven others - scheduling them for hearing on February 10. Rama Rao has expressed confidence in the legal outcome, suggesting party workers prepare for potential by-elections.

The case's legal journey includes significant developments in the Telangana High Court, which had previously directed the Speaker to resolve disqualification cases within a "reasonable time." The matter involves prominent political figures, including former Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari and former Assembly Speaker P. Srinivasa Reddy, among the ten MLAs who switched allegiance to Congress. The court's directive emphasizes the need to address these cases according to the Anti-Defection Act while considering the Assembly's five-year term duration.