Speaker reserves verdict on disqualification petition against Srihari; Danam Nagender seeks time to appear for final hearing

Decision on the pending disqualification petition against BRS MLA Danam Nagender is likely to take some more time as the Khairatabad legislator sought time to appear for the final hearing being conducted by the Tribunal headed by Assembly Speaker G. Prasad Kumar.

Mr. Prasad Kumar, who summoned Mr. Nagender and another MLA Kadiyam Srihari on Thursday to hear petitions filed against them for allegedly switching royalties to the ruling party, reserved his ruling after conducting the hearing against Mr. Srihari. The Speaker, acting as the chairman of the Tribunal constituted under the X Schedule, Anti-Defection Law, heard the version of advocates who appeared on behalf of Mr. Srihari.

The hearing follows the written explanation submitted by BRS legislator Padi Kaushik Reddy. Mr. Reddy attached the Supreme Court directive asking the Speaker to complete the hearings soon.

Mr. Prasad Kumar earlier dismissed the petitions filed against eight other BRS MLAs who allegedly defected to the ruling Congress on the ground that the petitioners could not submit proofs to substantiate their charges. But his verdict in respect of Mr. Nagender and Mr. Srihari assumes significance as the former contested the Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad on the Congress ticket despite being a BRS legislator. The BRS leadership submitted evidence of, what it said, the extensive campaign by Mr. Srihari on behalf of his daughter Kadiyam Kavya who successfully contested from Warangal Lok Sabha seat as Congress nominee.

Given the “convincing” proofs submitted to the Tribunal, the BRS leadership is milling to take legal recourse in the event of the verdict coming in favour of the “defected MLAs”.