BRS leader and former finance minister T Harish Rao has criticised the appointment of dissident MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy as the chief whip of the Telangana Legislative Council as a disqualification petition is pending against him with the Council chairman.
Rao pointed out discrepancies in the appointment of Patnam Mahender Reddy, terming it a Constitutional violation by the Congress government in the state.
He referred to a gazette notification from Telangana Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari on 15 March, which appointed Reddy as chief whip but government orders for Independence Day and Public Governance Day (17 September) recognised him only as an MLC.
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“How can Congress appoint a BRS MLC as its chief whip? This clearly violates parliamentary norms and is yet another example of Congress, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, undermining the Constitution,” he questioned, adding that the BRS would raise this issue with the Governor.
Earlier, considerable criticism arose after Congress decided to appoint another dissident MLA Arekapudi Gandhi as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, apparently in a bid to thwart the appointment of Harish Rao, a former finance minister.
The row escalated when Arekapudi Gandhi’s supporters reportedly pelted stones at the residence of BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy after he complained to the court about the Speaker not heeding their disqualification petition. Around ten BRS MLAs have joined the Congress without resigning as MLAs and face disqualification.
The High Court has given the Speaker four weeks to decide on the petition but the Congress leadership is hoping for a legal reprieve. Though the government remains safe and secure, the disqualification of the BRS dissident MLAs may result in a loss of face for the Congress leadership in Telangana, particularly for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
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