Speaker junks plea against one more defected BRS MLA

TElangana assemblage verbalizer G Prasad Kumar on wed dismissed the petition filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi seeking disqualification of company MLA from Jagtial constituency M Sanjay Kumar for allegedly defecting to the united states congress in 2024, people familiar with the matter said.The speaker, who had heard the arguments on a petition filed by BRS MLA G Jagadish Reddy, ruled that there was no sufficient evidence to prove that Sanjay had defected from the BRS to the ruling Congress.The order is part of a continuing series of decisions by the Speaker on petitions moved under the anti-defection provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.With the latest order, eight out of 10 disqualification petitions filed by the BRS have now been dismissed. All eight relate to MLAs accused of switching loyalty after the December 2023 assembly elections.The petitions against two other MLAs — Danam Nagender from Khairatabad and Kadiyam Srihari from Station Ghanpur are still pending disposal by the speaker. The hearing on these two MLAs has been deferred to February 19.The BRS had alleged that Sanjay Kumar, who won the Jagtial seat on a BRS ticket in the 2023 assembly elections, had voluntarily given up party membership by associating himself with the Congress.The allegations included his presence at Congress events and public actions perceived as political proximity to the ruling party.Reacting to the speaker’s verdict, Sanjay Kumar clarified that he continues to be a BRS legislator. “I have submitted an affidavit stating that I belong to the BRS. Every month, ₹5,000 is being deducted from my salary towards the party fund,” he said.He clarified that he was maintaining good relations with the Congress leadership only for the development of his constituency.Interestingly, Sanjay made this statement while seated among Congress leaders, drawing attention in political circles. He is presently campaigning for the Congress candidates in the municipal elections, scheduled be held on February 11.Veteran Congress leader and former minister T Jeevan Reddy, who has been opposing Sanjay playing a key role in the Congress in Jagtial, said he would welcome the assembly speaker’s ruling.“It is good Sanjay has declared that he is still in the BRS. It is better he is confined to the BRS activities in Jagtial. Let him stay disciplined after the verdict and not poke his nose in the Congress party activities. Why is he interfering in the internal matters of the Congress?” Jeevan Reddy asked.The former minister is unhappy with the Congress leadership for allotting party tickets to 29 candidates belonging to Sanjay’s camp for the 50-seat Jagtial municipality, while original Congress workers could get only 21.Meanwhile, BRS working president KT Rama Rao lashed out at the assembly speaker for giving clean chit to Jagitial MLA Sanjay. He said there was clear public evidence of the legislator joining the Congress in the presence of the chief minister.He termed the rejection of the petition for want of proof illogical. The speaker was undermining democracy without acting against the defected MLAs, ignoring Supreme Court judgements and the people’s mandate, he said.“The decision has brought dishonour to the speaker’s chair, even as senior Congress leader Jeevan Reddy is opposing the presence of a turncoat MLA,” the BRS working president said, accusing the ruling Congress of attempting to avoid potential by-elections after facing public discontent in the panchayat elections.