Cleanchit for Pocharam and Yadaiah: TG Speaker rejects disqualification pleas

Hyderabad, January 15: In a major Sankranti-day development, Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has officially dismissed the disqualification petitions filed against former Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada) and Kale Yadaiah (Chevella).

The ruling marks the second major wave of “clean chits” issued by the Speaker’s office, following the dismissal of petitions against five other MLAs in late December 2025. This decision effectively allows both leaders to continue as members of the Assembly without the threat of a by-election.

Similar to his previous rulings, the Speaker noted that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the two MLAs had formally resigned from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) or officially joined the Congress party. During the hearings, both Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Kale Yadaiah maintained that their meetings with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy were strictly related to constituency development and obtaining state funds for local projects. The Speaker ruled that since the MLAs did not formally submit a letter of resignation to the BRS or take up official Congress primary membership on paper, the Anti-Defection Law under the Tenth Schedule could not be invoked.

Shift in Dynamics

Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, a veteran politician and the former Speaker of the House, joining the Congress fold was seen as a massive symbolic blow to the BRS. However, by clearing him of disqualification, the current Speaker has ensured that the Congress government maintains its numerical advantage in the House without having to face the voters in a mid-term by-poll. With today’s ruling, the status of the ten MLAs who switched sides is as follows:

1. Clean Chit Given (7): Arekapudi Gandhi, Tellam Venkat Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, T. Prakash Goud, G. Mahipal Reddy, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, and Kale Yadaiah.
2. Pending/Under Review (3): The cases of Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, and M. Sanjay Kumar remain under the Speaker’s observation.

BRS Reaction: “A Mockery of the Constitution”

The BRS leadership has reacted sharply to the news. Speaking to the media, BRS leaders alleged that the Speaker is “acting as a shield” for the Congress government. They pointed out that Pocharam Srinivas Reddy had publicly donned the Congress scarf (kanduva) in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, arguing that “public admission of joining is evidence enough.”

The BRS is expected to include these two new rulings in their ongoing contempt petition and legal challenge in the Supreme Court, which has been closely monitoring the Speaker’s timeline for these decisions.