Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s purportedly saying in the assembly there would be no bye-elections even if BRS MLAs switched sides attracted Supreme Court’s ire on Wednesday.
“If this is said on the floor of the house, your chief minister is making a mockery of the Tenth Schedule,” a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih remarked.
The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution deals with provisions on disqualification on the ground of defection.
Reddy allegedly stating in the assembly on March 26 that there would be no bye-elections even if BRS members switched sides prompted Justice Gavai’s strong comments.
The issue cropped up when the bench was hearing arguments on the pleas raising the issue of alleged delay by the Telangana assembly speaker in deciding on the petitions seeking disqualification of some BRS MLAs who had defected to the Congress. Senior advocate CA Sundaram, appearing for BRS leader Padi Kaushik Reddy, referred to Reddy’s purported statement.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the speaker, said the assembly proceedings were not in question in the matter pending before the apex court.
