Hyderabad: Observing that there was no urgency in hearing the writ petitions filed by Congress leaders Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Shabbir Ali challenging the possible merger of the CLP with the TRS, the Telangana High Court adjourned the hearing to June 11.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghavender Singh Chau-han and Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy, while dealing with the two petitions, said that it would set aside the merger notifications if it found any illegality.
The counsel for the petitioners informed the court that four Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) of the Congress have already been merged into the TRS and now the TRS is going all-out to merge the entire Congress Legislature Party comprising 19 MLAs into the TRS and there is a compelling need to hear this writ petition.
Reacting to counsel’s submissions, Justice Chauhan said, “Whatever the action may be of the TRS in merging the CLP with TRS, this court has the power to set it aside under Article 226 of the Constitution, if we feel that there is an illegality in the merger and if this court is convinced that the merger is illegal, or rather, the MLAs of the Congress cannot be treated as TRS MLAs and they should have continued in the parent party, then do you think that it is beyond this court's power to restore the same?… This court has the power to declare them as MLAs of the Congress if they are merged against the law and rules.”
