BRS MLA Turned Congress Member Committed to By-Elections
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Synopsis
Former Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, who defected from BRS to Congress, expressed his readiness to face any forthcoming by-elections. He emphasized his commitment to abide by the Supreme Court's decision regarding disqualification petitions filed against him and other defectors.
Key Takeaways
- Kadiyam Srihari is prepared for by-elections.
- The Supreme Court is reviewing disqualification petitions.
- Srihari criticizes BRS for past defections.
- There is a demand for 18% reservation for Scheduled Castes.
- Srihari's daughter Kavya was elected from Warangal.
Hyderabad, Feb 9 (NationPress) Former Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, one of the 10 BRS MLAs who switched to Congress last year, announced on Sunday that he is ready to confront any upcoming by-elections instead of avoiding them.
He mentioned that the case concerning the 10 MLAs joining Congress is still pending in the Supreme Court, and he will respect the court's ruling.
"If by-elections are to take place, I will not run away. I will stand firm to contest," he told the press.
Last week, the Telangana Assembly Secretary issued notices to the 10 MLAs following petitions from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which is seeking the disqualification of the defectors.
This notice was prompted by the Supreme Court's directive to the Telangana Assembly to establish a "reasonable period" for resolving the disqualification requests.
The Supreme Court is reviewing a petition from BRS MLA P. Kaushik Reddy, who is asking for the disqualification of three MLAs: Venkata Rao Tellam, Kadiyam Srihari, and Danam Nagender.
The next hearing regarding this case is slated for February 10. The apex court will also consider another petition from BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao, questioning the delay by the Assembly Speaker in addressing the disqualification of seven other defected MLAs.
Srihari asserted that the BRS lacks the authority to comment on defections, claiming that it was the BRS that compromised democracy by orchestrating defections while in power. He also criticized the BRS for the lack of development in Telangana during its decade-long governance.
The Dalit leader called for a provision of 18 percent reservation for Scheduled Castes in alignment with their population.
He accused BRS Working President Rama Rao of celebrating the BJP’s success in the Delhi Assembly elections, suggesting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lost due to its alliance with the BRS.
Srihari argued that had Congress and AAP contested the Delhi elections together, they would have emerged victorious.
In March of the previous year, Kadiyam Srihari and his daughter Kadiyam Kavya joined Congress.
Kavya was announced as the BRS candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Warangal and was subsequently elected as the Congress candidate from the same constituency.
Srihari was elected to the Assembly from Station Ghanpur constituency in 2023.
A notable SC leader, Srihari began his political career in the 1980s with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and has held ministerial positions in the cabinets of N. T. Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu in the united Andhra Pradesh. He has also served as TDP General Secretary and Politburo member.
A four-time MLA from Station Ghanpur in Warangal district, he joined the TRS (now BRS) in 2013.
In 2014, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Warangal on a TRS ticket, and the following year, BRS President and then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao appointed him as Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister.
