The apex court emphasised that the Speaker, while adjudicating defection cases, functions as a tribunal and does not possess constitutional immunity against judicial review. The bench made it clear that "no MLA shall be allowed to protract the proceedings," warning that if any attempt is made to delay, adverse inferences must be drawn against the individual MLAs.
Petitions were filed by BRS leaders including Padi Kaushik Reddy, K T Rama Rao, and K C Vivekanand, seeking the Speaker’s order on disqualification of ten legislators who had defected after the Assembly poll results in 2023. The High Court had initially directed action within a month. Its division bench later replaced that with a requirement to act within a "reasonable period"—a term the Supreme Court found inadequate and overturned.
The MLAs implicated include Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Kale Yadaiah, M Sanjay Kumar, B Krishnamohan Reddy, G Mahipal Reddy, T Prakash Goud, Arekapudi Gandhi, Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, and Tellam Venkat Rao.
During hearings in April, the court criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's remark in the Telangana Assembly that no by‑elections would be held even if these MLAs moved to the Congress. The bench called it a mockery of the Tenth Schedule provisions and stressed the legal weight of statements made within the Assembly.
The Supreme Court made explicit its concern that unchecked defections undermine democratic stability. It urged Parliament to revisit the current disqualification framework, given repeated delays by presiding officers in various states.
Since joining Congress, most defectors have maintained a low profile in public debate. Only Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, former Speaker of the Assembly, has been given a governmental advisory role on agriculture. Internal Party dynamics remain strained, with some senior cadres wary of granting key roles to the defectors; others advocate giving them positions such as party vice‑presidency to retain loyalty and attract further BRS leaders under ongoing efforts codenamed 'Operation Akarsh'.
The court’s instructions tight the timeline: from the date of the judgement, the Speaker must finalise disqualification decisions on all ten matters within ninety days. Any extension or delay risks legal rebuke and reputational consequences for those involved.