The Telangana Assembly Speaker was today directed by the high court to take within three months a decision on a petition seeking disqualification of Telugu Desam MLAs who have switched over to the ruling TRS.
Justice M S Ramachandra Rao of HC of Judicature at Hyderabad for States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, passed the order on a writ petition moved by Telangana TDP leader Revanth Reddy.
In the petition, Reddy said the Speaker has allocated seats in the Assembly to TDP MLAs, who have switched loyalties to TRS, without deciding on the disqualification petitions filed by the Opposition party.
After the TRS came to power in 2014 in the new state, as many as 12 of the 15 MLAs belonging to TDP have joined the ruling party citing different reasons.
The Chandrababu Naidu-led party, on its part, filed multiple petitions with Speaker Madhusudana Chary demanding that these legislators be disqualified from the membership of the Telangana Assembly.
Reddy questioned a bulletin issued by the Speaker recognising the merger of 12 TDP MLAs into TRS. The petitioner complained the Speaker had invalidated the disqualification applications filed by TDP by issuing the bulletin.
Jandhyala Ravi Shankar, advocate for Reddy, argued the Speaker does not have powers to merge parties as that authority lies with the Election Commission.
The court, said at the last hearing it would not injunct
or interfere in the disciplinary proceeding against Suryadevara on account of his newspaper article -- 'Neither Office, Nor Profit' -- saying, "On that you (official) take your own remedies."
Prasar Bharti had earlier submitted that it was "not in a position" to spare anyone as it is "facing a huge manpower crunch" and that the petition was a service matter for which the appropriate forum was the Central Administrative Tribunal.
Suryadevara, an officer belonging to Newsreader-cum- Translator (Telugu) cadre, was deputed to Delhi Assembly for a year after which the then LG Najeeb Jung had ordered relieving him.
Goel, however, had refused to relieve Suryadevara, insisting since the Speaker also holds a constitutional office, the LG cannot repatriate the Assembly secretary without his concurrence.
Suryadevara had earlier served in the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for five years and that of Rajya Sabha Chairman for over six years.
