“Let turncoats Danam, Kadiyam resign before you seek amendment to Constitution,” KTR challenges Rahul Gandhi

HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) ridiculed the stand taken by the AICC on the automatic disqualification of turncoat MLAs and MPs by an amendment to the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. He wanted the TPCC to first let both the BRS MLAs who shifted loyalties to the Congress to resign and practice what they preached.

Taking to X on Saturday the former Minister said, “Congress party, which is the mothership that promoted the “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” culture of political defections in India seems to have had a big change of heart.” 

KTR added that he welcomed their noble proposal of amending the 10th schedule to ensure the automatic disqualification of MLAs or MPs if they defect party.

“But as always, Congress preaches something but does the exact opposite in terms of practice,” he observed.

KTR pointed out that recently in Telangana the Congress announced an MP ticket to one BRS MLA Danam Nagender and also admitted another BRS MLA Kadiyam Srihari. “Both of them are still hanging on to their seats. Rahul Gandhi, why don’t you demonstrate that you are not a party of hypocrites? Make both these defectors resign or have the speaker disqualify and prove to the country that you practice what you preach,” KTR said.

What the tenth schedule says

According to the Law Library, the Tenth Schedule was inserted by the Constitution (Fifty-second Amendment) Act, 1985.

The schedule provided for disqualification of a member of Parliament of a State Legislature in two situations, namely (a) if he voluntarily gave up his membership of political party on whose ticket he was elected and (b) if he voted or abstained from voting, without prior permission of the party, in such House contrary to any direction issued by the political party on whose ticket he had been elected and such voting or abstention had not been condoned by such political party within 15 days from the date of voting of abstention.

The schedule however introduced the concept of 'split'. In short, the paragraph provided that if not less than 1/3rd of members of the legislature party defect, the disqualification should not operate. It provided that the rule of disqualification should not apply where two or more political parties merge. It provided an exemption in favour of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of Chairman or Deputy Chairman, as the case may be, from the operation of the paragraph concerned.