Former BRS leader and ex‑minister T. Harish Rao has written to Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, urging him to act on all petitions that seek to disqualify ten BRS members who have shifted their allegiance to the ruling Congress party.
In his letter, the Siddipet MLA voiced a genuine ‘alarming concern’ over the ‘prolonged’ delay in resolving a disqualification case that falls under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
He explained that the Telangana Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground Defection) Rules, 1986 – specifically Rule 3 to 7 – require an inquiry, a notice and a prompt decision. The fact that these petitions have yet to be dealt with violates Article 191(2).
Harish Rao noted that the Supreme Court has already warned and cautioned the Speaker to render rulings on the disqualification of defecting MLAs without further delay, echoing the precedent set in Keisham Meghachandra Singh vs. Speaker, Manipur Legislative Assembly, which mandates that such decisions be made within a reasonable time. He warned that continued non‑compliance erodes constitutional morality and public trust.
While wishing the Speaker congratulations on his two‑year tenure, the ex‑minister also expressed regret that during this period several core rules and procedures governing the assembly’s functioning were ignored, leading to serious institutional shortfalls and a weakened constitutional role for the body.
He listed a range of serious procedural lapses that have harmed both the operational effectiveness and the credibility of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. These infractions clearly breach the Rules of Procedure and undermine the legislature’s constitutional mandate.
Notably, the number of days the assembly meets has dropped sharply, contrary to Rule 12 which requires the body to convene whenever needed to conduct business. Frequent and abrupt adjournments without proper justification conflict with Rule 13 on the timing of sittings and Rule 16 on ad‑journing procedures.
“The Question Hour and Zero Hour have not been conducted in accordance with Rules “38 to 52” and “53 to 62”. Starred questions were not taken up, supplementary questions were restricted, and Zero Hour was often curtailed, undermining the purpose of Rule “38” on time allotted for questions and Rule “50” regarding supplementary questions,” he wrote.
He also voiced serious concerns that members had not yet received written replies to unstarred questions, even though the rules require these answers to be provided promptly. The omission of written responses violates mandatory provisions and weakens the assembly’s accountability mechanisms.
“A particularly grave lapse is that several House Committees have not been constituted for nearly two years, contrary to the mandatory requirements of Rule 196 on appointment of committees, Rule 198 on their term, and Rule 227 which specifies that committee work does not lapse upon prorogation. This has severely weakened legislative scrutiny and oversight.”
Harish Rao added that the failure to appoint a Deputy Speaker, even after an extended vacancy, is another critical procedural breach. Because the Deputy Speaker chairs the Privileges Committee, the committee has become non‑functional, leaving many privilege‑related issues unresolved.
He also drew the Speaker’s attention to the resignation of the Chairman of the Estimates Committee, which has further weakened committee oversight. The ongoing failure to re‑establish statutory committees has brought essential legislative work to a standstill.
— ms/dpb
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