Hyderabad/New Delhi, January 16, 2026
In a stern rebuke that underscores the judiciary's frustration with legislative foot-dragging, the Supreme Court of India on Friday pulled up Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar for repeatedly failing to adhere to deadlines in adjudicating disqualification petitions against defecting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmakers who switched allegiance to the ruling Congress party. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih granted the Speaker a "last opportunity" to file a detailed status report within two weeks, warning of "consequences" for further non-compliance.
The court's sharp criticism came during the resumption of hearings after the winter break on a contempt petition filed by BRS leaders, including KT Rama Rao, Padi Kaushik Reddy, and KO Vivekanand. The plea accused the Speaker of shielding the defectors in violation of the anti-defection law enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. "We know what action we can take for failing to stick to the deadline," the bench remarked, highlighting the Speaker's "negligence" in constitutional matters.
#### A Timeline of Delays and Judicial Interventions
The saga dates back to early 2024, when a political upheaval saw at least 10 BRS MLAs cross over to the Congress, triggering disqualification petitions under the anti-defection provisions in March and April that year. The Speaker, acting as a quasi-judicial tribunal, was accused of inaction for over seven months, including failing to even issue notices to the MLAs.
The Supreme Court first intervened on July 31, 2025, in a landmark ruling led by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai, which affirmed that Speakers do not enjoy constitutional immunity and are bound by judicial timelines to prevent the anti-defection law from being rendered toothless. The court quashed a Telangana High Court order that had stalled proceedings and directed the Speaker to conclude the cases within three months. However, the deadline lapsed without full compliance, prompting a contempt notice on November 17, 2025, where the top court labeled the delay as the "grossest kind of contempt."
In the latest hearing, the Speaker's counsel, senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Mukul Rohatgi, sought an additional eight weeks, citing personal reasons such as the Speaker's recent eye surgery. They reported that orders have been pronounced in seven of the 10 cases, with one reserved, but decisions remain pending for three prominent MLAs: Danam Nagender (Khairtabad), Kadiyam Srihari (Station Ghanpur), and M Sanjay Kumar (Jagitial). Notably, on January 15—just a day before the hearing—the Speaker dismissed fresh disqualification pleas against two other BRS MLAs, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Kale Yadaiah, citing "no evidence of defection," further fueling accusations of bias.
BRS representatives, led by senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, vehemently opposed the extension request, arguing that repeated adjournments undermine the court's authority and allow the ruling party to consolidate power through defections. BRS working president KT Rama Rao took to social media post-hearing, slamming the Congress government for "orchestrating a defection industry" and vowing to pursue the matter aggressively.
#### Political Fallout and Broader Implications
The Congress camp, however, defended the Speaker's actions as compliant with constitutional norms, insisting that each case was decided on merits without undue haste. This episode adds to a string of recent dismissals: In December 2025, the Speaker cleared five more BRS MLAs of defection charges, prompting BRS to decry the decisions as "premeditated" to protect the ruling party's numbers in the assembly.
Legal experts view the Supreme Court's repeated interventions as a critical check on Speakers' discretionary powers, reinforcing the 2025 judgment's emphasis on timely adjudication to uphold democratic stability. With Telangana's political landscape still fluid ahead of potential by-elections, the outcome of these cases could reshape assembly dynamics, where Congress holds a slim majority bolstered by the defectors.
The court has scheduled the next hearing post the two-week deadline, with the Speaker directed to file an affidavit detailing all steps taken. As the clock ticks, all eyes remain on whether this final leash will finally rein in the protracted delays—or invite further judicial thunder.
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