Praja Shanthi Party chief files petition after disqualification pleas against five BRS MLAs were dismissed, citing Supreme Court directives and seeking strict enforcement of anti-defection law.
New Delhi, 18 December 2025
Dr K A Paul, President of the Praja Shanthi Party and noted global humanitarian, has filed a petition in the Telangana High Court challenging the Assembly Speaker’s recent order dismissing disqualification petitions against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators. In the same petition, Dr Paul has also demanded the resignation of Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar for allegedly overstepping his constitutional mandate.
The legal move comes after the Speaker dismissed petitions against five BRS MLAs—Arekapudi Gandhi, Tellam Venkata Rao, Banda Krishnamohan, T Prakash Goud, and Gudem Mahipal Reddy—citing lack of evidence for party defection. Dr Paul argued that this decision undermines the intent of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which seeks to prevent political defection and ensure accountability among elected representatives.
Addressing a press conference at Andhra Bhawan in New Delhi, Dr Paul said the Speaker’s ruling reduces the anti-defection law to a “mere technicality,” ignoring the legislators’ public political conduct. He emphasized that the order was passed despite ongoing proceedings in the Supreme Court. On 31 July, a bench led by then Chief Justice B R Gavai had instructed the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions of 10 MLAs within three months. Later, on 17 November, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to the Speaker for failing to meet the deadline, describing the inaction as “the gravest form of contempt.”
Dr Paul stressed that ignoring binding Supreme Court directions raises serious constitutional and institutional concerns. He reaffirmed that the Speaker is legally obligated to act strictly within the judicially mandated framework.
The petition also highlights pending cases before the Speaker, including those of Danam Nagender, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Secunderabad, and Kadiyam Srihari, accused of campaigning for his daughter’s candidature in the same elections.
Dr Paul’s petition seeks the disqualification of all 10 BRS MLAs elected in the 2023 Assembly elections who allegedly joined the Congress in 2024. He reiterated that he will continue pursuing legal remedies to ensure adherence to Supreme Court orders and protect the constitutional provisions of the Tenth Schedule.
This case is expected to test the balance of legislative authority, judicial oversight, and the enforcement of anti-defection laws in Telangana.
