The Telangana Assembly Speaker's office has formally requested a two-month extension from the Supreme Court to finalize hearings concerning pending disqualification petitions against defecting legislators. This appeal comes as the existing three-month deadline, mandated by the apex court on July 31, is set to expire on October 31.
The initial Supreme Court directive had instructed the Speaker to conclude the proceedings "at all costs" and implement actions against any defectors. This order followed petitions lodged by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), targeting its former Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who had either joined or offered support to the Congress party. According to the petition for extension, only four legislators have been examined thus far, with some senior leaders reportedly yet to appear or submit their affidavits, having sought additional time to respond. The political context involves the reported defection of ten BRS MLAs following the 2023 Assembly elections, coinciding with the formation of a new Congress government.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/telangana-speaker-seeks-more-time-from-sc-to-complete-hearing-of-mlas-disqualification-petitions/article70225326.ece