Telangana Speaker Dismisses Disqualification Pleas After Court Pressure

Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar dismissed disqualification petitions against 10 MLAs, including Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari, on March 11, 2026. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had filed the petitions, alleging that the legislators defected to the ruling Congress party in violation of anti-defection laws. Kumar ruled that there was no conclusive documentary or legally sustainable evidence to prove the legislators voluntarily gave up their BRS membership.

KT Rama Rao, working president of the BRS, condemned the ruling as an "attack on democracy" and an erosion of public faith in governance, suggesting the decision would encourage further defections.

The ruling occurred one day before the Supreme Court of India heard contempt petitions alleging that the Speaker had failed to comply with a July 31, 2025, order to resolve the disqualification pleas. On March 12, after the state of Telangana submitted that decisions had been reached on all pending petitions, the court disposed of the contempt cases. A bench led by Justice Sanjay Karol ordered the Speaker's office to provide copies of the decisions to the petitioners by Friday and the full record of proceedings within four days.