Praja Shanthi Party chief Dr K A Paul challenges the Telangana Assembly Speaker’s dismissal of defection pleas, citing violation of anti-defection law and Supreme Court directions.
New Delhi | Thursday, December 18, 2025
Praja Shanthi Party President and global humanitarian Dr K A Paul on Thursday announced that he has filed a petition in the Telangana High Court challenging the Assembly Speaker’s decision to dismiss disqualification petitions in an alleged defection case involving Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators. He also demanded the Speaker’s resignation, holding him accountable for what he termed a constitutional breach.
Dr Paul addressed a press conference at Andhra Bhawan in New Delhi shortly after filing the petition. The legal move follows an order passed on Wednesday by Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, who rejected disqualification pleas against five BRS MLAs, stating that there was no conclusive proof of party defection.
The MLAs who received relief include Arekapudi Gandhi, Tellam Venkata Rao, Banda Krishnamohan, T Prakash Goud, and Gudem Mahipal Reddy.
Dr Paul alleged that the Speaker’s decision undermines the spirit of the anti-defection law enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. He argued that the ruling reduces defection to a narrow technical issue while disregarding the public political actions and affiliations of the legislators involved.
Referring to developments in the Supreme Court, Dr Paul pointed out that the Speaker issued the order while the matter was under judicial consideration. On July 31, a bench led by then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai had directed the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions against 10 MLAs within three months. Subsequently, on November 17, the apex court issued a contempt notice to the Speaker, describing the failure to adhere to the timeline as the “grossest kind of contempt.”
According to Dr Paul, any order passed in violation of binding Supreme Court directives raises serious concerns about constitutional propriety and institutional accountability. He maintained that the Speaker is duty-bound to act strictly within the parameters set by the apex court.
He also highlighted cases that remain pending before the Speaker, including that of Danam Nagender, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad on a Congress ticket, and Kadiyam Srihari, who allegedly campaigned for his daughter during the same elections under the Congress banner.
Dr Paul stated that his petition seeks the disqualification of all 10 MLAs elected on the BRS ticket in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections who are accused of switching allegiance to the Congress in 2024.
He further asserted that he would continue pursuing all available legal remedies to ensure compliance with Supreme Court orders and to safeguard the constitutional framework of the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule.
