Telangana Speaker Gaddam Prasad delivered his final ruling on Wednesday in the defection case involving 10 MLAs. These MLAs had shifted from BRS to the ruling Congress after winning on BRS tickets.
The decision brings an end to months of suspense surrounding the future of the accused MLAs. The case was closely followed across Telangana, as it was expected to shape the political strategy of the ruling Congress.
For now, the defection case against five MLAs has been dismissed due to lack of evidence of party shifting. The MLAs include Arekepudi Gandhi, Tellam Venkat Rao, Banda Krishnamohan, Prakash Goud, and Gudem Mahipal.
The fate of the remaining five MLAs will be decided soon. However, like a thriller where the ending is already known, a similar verdict is expected for the others, including Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari.
This ruling is being seen as a major setback for BRS. The party has suffered a moral defeat at the hands of the ruling Congress.
Unhappy with the High Court decision earlier, BRS had approached the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then directed the Telangana Speaker to conduct an inquiry and take a decision.
After months of speculation, the Speaker dismissed the case, which has clearly gone in favour of the Congress government. The decision has significantly altered the political landscape.
BRS, which had claimed that by elections were inevitable, now has to wait until 2029 for a public verdict. Earlier, the party had also stated that it would not take back the 10 MLAs even if they chose to return.
The ruling is expected to demoralise BRS cadre, as the party has not only lost face but also effectively lost 10 MLAs.