Supreme Court backs HC decision to cancel Telangana MLC appointments

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court struck down the nominations of Kodandaram Reddy and Ameer Ali Khan to the Telangana Legislative Council under the Governor's quota, while modifying its earlier interim order to allow fresh nominations on Wednesday.

A bench led by Justice Nath clarified that future nominations for the two MLC seats would depend on the outcome of the ongoing petition challenging the Telangana High Court's decision to quash the original appointments.

The present petitions have been filed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi(BRS) leaders Dasoji Sravan Kumar and Kurra Satyanarayana, who were recommended by the government in 2023 under the Governor's quota, but the recommendation was refused by the Governor.

The apex court modified its August 14 interim order that had stayed the High Court's verdict cancelling the nominations of the two MLCs. The modification effectively upholds the High Court's decision to strike down the appointments while opening the door for new nominations.

"The goal is to make future nominations dependent on the petition's outcome, not to restore the quashed nominations," Justice Nath stated during the proceedings.

The Attorney General argued that since the initial recommendations had been withdrawn, there was no basis to challenge future nominations unless they were procedurally flawed. The petitioners' counsel questioned the position taken by the Governor's office. The bench described some developments as "very unfortunate," while the Attorney General maintained that the Governor had acted entirely on the advice of the Council of Ministers.

The Telangana government can now recommend fresh candidates for the vacant MLC positions. However, these appointments will remain provisional pending the Supreme Court's final verdict on the constitutional challenge.