Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday issued notices to four Andhra Pradesh ministers, asking them why couldn't they be disqualified for defecting to the ruling TDP from the YSR Congress Party.
A division bench of the acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganthan and Justice T Rajini, hearing a writ petition filed by journalist T Shivaprasad Reddy, issued the notices to the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary as well as the ministers N Amarnath Reddy, RS Krishna Ranga Rao, Bhuma Akhila Priya and C Adi Narayana Reddy.
All of them got elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on the ticket of the YSR Congress Party, but joined the Telugu Desam Party government of N Chandrababu Naidu in April this year and subsequently became ministers.
Challenging their induction into the Cabinet, the petitioner stated this action of the Andhra government was highly arbitrary, illegal and without any application of mind or authority of law and was in violation of Article 164(1B) of the Constitution and related norms.
The petitioner requested the high court to restrain the four from discharging any function as ministers, pending disposal of his plea.
The HC adjourned the case for four weeks.
