Another turncoat MLA in Telangana, Kadiyam Srihari, has submitted a counter affidavit to Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, denying that he has defected to the Congress. Srihari, elected from Station Ghanpur Assembly Constituency on a BRS ticket, submitted the written affidavit in response to the notice sent by the Speaker following a disqualification notice filed by the BRS.
Claiming that the disqualification petition has stated a blatant lie, Srihari said, “I have never given up my primary membership of the BRS party and never taken membership of the Indian National Congress nor expressed the intention to join INC.” While ten of the BRS MLAs had switched their allegiance, the Speaker has given his rulings on the disqualification petitions of five MLAs. Three are still pending with the Speaker. After Kadiam Srihari’s plea, the only MLA who has not replied is Danam Nagender. He had contested as a Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, when questioned about the Speaker’s decision, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that BRS often claims the turncoats as their own MLAs and asks for more time on the floor of the House since they have 37 MLAs. The BRS even takes funds from the MLAs’ salaries for the legislative party. When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the defections engineered by the Congress in Telangana, he replied, “Ask Rahul Gandhi.” Speaking in a lighter vein, Reddy compared the BRS to the poverty-stricken couple who try to sell their own children.
Attacking Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said both have failed their own legacies. Gandhi failed his father, Rajiv Gandhi, who, as prime minister, had brought the Anti-Defection Act, and Reddy failed S Jaipal Reddy, who had warned that this power to the Speaker would give a lot of power to the ruling party. He did not spare the BRS as well. “At the same time, BRS is trying to act holier than thou, which is laughable. KCR institutionalised defections in Telangana, and Revanth Reddy is only continuing that culture even more aggressively,” said the BJP leader.