BRS MLAs Get Three Days to Comment on Turncoat MLAs Defence to Speaker

Hyderabad: The battle between the BRS and 10 of its MLAs who have been charged by the BRS of jumping fence and joining the Congress party, took an intriguing turn with most of the alleged turncoat MLAs claiming in letters to the Speaker that they never left the BRS, following which comments were sought from the BRS side on the responses received from the MLAs whose fate is to be decided by the Speaker.

The BRS MLAs who complained about the turncoat MLAs and sought action, including G Vivekanand Goud, who received on Thursday from the Speaker’s office the copies of the explanations filed by those whose fate is to be decided, have been given three days to file their responses to the responses the Speaker received from those accused of leaving the BRS party.

While eight of the MLAs accused of shifting party loyalties - Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Tellam Venkatrao, Arekapudi Gandhi, Kale Yadaiah, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy and Dr. Sanjay Kumar - responded to the notices from the Speaker seeking their explanations, two - Danam Nagendar and Kadiam Srihari – have reportedly sought some additional time to do so. Those who responded were consistent in their claims that they never quit the BRS and were very much part of the opposition party. In their explanations, the MLAs said the evidence of their alleged joining of the Congress – pictures with CM A. Revanth Reddy with him greeting them – were from their meetings with him to discuss development of their constituencies, or even ‘morphed’, as claimed by Krishnamohan Reddy.

The BRS MLAs who first complained, among whom are G Jagadish Reddy, Dr Kalvakuntal Sanjay, Palla Rajeshwara Reddy, G Vivekanand Goud, and Padi Kaushik Reddy have till Monday, Sunday being a general holiday, to submit their responses. “We will provide all the proofs and evidences – photographs of the turncoats with the CM, their videos from the time they joined the Congress, and all subsequent proofs,” Rajeshwar Reddy said.

This is much like a hearing in a court where both sides will make their cases and a verdict is given. With the Supreme Court having set a three month deadline on July 31whcih gives the Speaker till the end of October to make his decision on the BRS party’s complaints and the defences put forward by the alleged turncoat MLAs.