Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy told BRS MLAs who switched loyalties to the Congress that they need not worry as by-elections will not be held, but drew a strong reaction from the BRS, which accused him of passing judgment in a case being heard by the Supreme Court.
Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister stated that by-elections will not be held and told the MLAs who defected from the BRS to Congress that they need not worry.
The Chief Minister stated that during the BRS rule, turncoats took oath as ministers and no by-elections were held in the previous government.
"How will by-elections be held now?" he said.
Ten MLAs of the BRS defected to Congress last year and the Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions to disqualify them.
Revanth Reddy also stated that Congress was following the tradition.
"We are following the traditions that were practiced in the past. No member should worry, and no by-elections will be held in the state. Our focus is not on by-elections. Our focus is the development of the state," he said.
The Chief Minister’s statement drew a strong reaction from the main opposition party. BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao said that they would bring this to the court’s notice.
"Our CM often forgets that he is the CM. He likes to role-play, most of the time. Today he decided that he is the Supreme Court! He decided to pass a judgement about an ongoing case of MLA defections on the floor of the assembly," KTR posted on ‘X’.
"The parliamentary conventions and rules of the house is to refrain from passing any comments on an ongoing judicial matter But again, this is Revanth Reddy - he is above all rules. Clearly, he thinks that he is also above the Hon’ble Supreme Court. BRS will definitely take it up with the honourable courts as to how the Chief Minister undermined their authority in the open House. Not the first time but a second time after apologising for his gaffe last year. Meanwhile, I request Revanth Reddy to behave like the CM. Or at least pretend to care," the BRS leader added.
BRS leader Harish Rao said in the Assembly that the Chief Minister insulted the Supreme Court by stating that there will be no by-elections.
