Professor M Kodandaram of Telangana Jana Samithi and veteran journalist Amer Ali Khan were finally administered oath as Members of Legislative Council (MLC) under governor’s quota, bringing the curtains down to a year-long political drama.
The Telangana High Court had quashed the appointment of the two MLCs following a petition filed by two BRS leaders but the Supreme Court recently issued a stay on the order of the lower court. There has been a prolonged battle involving the governor’s office, the BRS and the Congress over these two MLC seats under the governor’s quota which had begun when Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was at the Raj Bhavan.
It was during the BRS regime that the state government had recommended two of its leaders, Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana under the governor’s quota in the Legislative Council. However, Dr Soundararajan rejected both names in September last year and had sent a stern letter to the chief minister arguing that the duo did not fit the eligibility for governor’s quota.
Meanwhile, the Congress government came to power and recommended Prof Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan for the same post and this time the governor cleared both names. However, the BRS duo filed a petition in the High Court against Dr Soundararajan’s decision leading to deferment of the swearing in ceremony of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan.
In March, the High Court ruled against the governor’s decision to reject the nominations of the BRS duo and also quashed the gazette notification announcing the appointment of Professor Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan. However, the Congress government stuck to its guns and once again the state Cabinet recommended the same set of candidates.
With the Supreme Court’s stay order in place the chairman of the Legislative Council Gutta Sukhender Reddy administered oath to Prof, Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs today in the presence of ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.