The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted a final three-week window to the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly to adjudicate upon the remaining disqualification petitions against MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) to the Congress party. A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice A. G. Masih warned that failure to comply with this timeline would result in the initiation of contempt proceedings against the Speaker.
“We expect the Speaker to positively take a decision, failing which we shall proceed to issue contempt,” the Court observed.
Background of the Dispute
The legal battle originated following the defection of 10 BRS MLAs to the ruling Congress party in Telangana. The BRS initially moved the Telangana हाईकोर्ट seeking a direction to the Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions.
On November 22, 2024, a division bench of the हाईकोर्ट had set aside a single-judge order (which had given a four-week timeline) and directed the Speaker to decide the pleas within a “reasonable time.” Dissatisfied with this open-ended timeframe, the BRS approached the Supreme Court.
On July 31, 2025, the Supreme Court set aside the हाईकोर्ट division bench order and mandated the Speaker to decide the petitions expeditiously, specifically within a period not exceeding three months.
History of Non-Compliance
Despite the July 2025 order, the Speaker failed to meet the three-month deadline, prompting the filing of contempt petitions. By December 2025, the Speaker had rejected only seven out of the 10 pending petitions.
When the matter was heard on January 16, 2026, the state government requested additional time, and the Court granted a two-week extension.
Arguments in Court
During the proceedings on Friday, Senior Advocate A. M. Singhvi, representing the state, informed the bench that a decision had recently been taken on one more petition. He sought a further three-week extension for the remaining cases, citing the upcoming municipal elections as a reason for the delay.
The counsel appearing for the petitioners (BRS) vehemently opposed the request, asserting that the delay was tactical. “The facts are being twisted in the wrong way… There is nothing to do with municipal elections,” the counsel argued, urging the Court to take strict action against the continued non-compliance.
Court’s Analysis and Decision
The bench noted that the matter has been pending before the apex court since December 2024 and that the Speaker has been given multiple opportunities to fulfill his constitutional obligation under the Tenth Schedule.
Taking a serious view of the delay, the Court granted a final opportunity of three weeks but coupled it with a stern warning. The bench emphasized that the Speaker must “positively” take a decision within the stipulated period. The Court made it clear that it would not hesitate to proceed with contempt of court charges if the deadline is missed again.
The matter is expected to be listed after three weeks to review the Speaker’s compliance.
