A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking removal of Nalgonda MP Gutha Sukhender Reddy as Telangana Rashtra Rythu Samanwaya Samithi (TRRSS) chairman took a turn when the High Court on Tuesday suggested to the petitioner’s counsel to amend the prayer.
Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha State president Goli Madhusudhan Reddy filed the petition seeking direction from the High Court to take the Samithi chairman post off Mr. Reddy. But the petitioner should pray for disqualification of the MP instead of seeking his removal as Samithi chairman, the High Court said after hearing the petition. The observation was made by a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi.
When the petitioner’s lawyer B. Rachna Reddy represented to the Bench that Mr. Reddy cannot hold the office of profit by virtue of being a Member of the Lok Sabha, the Acting Chief Justice said the latter can do so if he prefers to abdicate the MP status.
He explained that under Article 102 (1) (a), a member of either House of the Parliament is disqualified if he or she holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the government of any State. In the present PIL, the petitioner should seek disqualification of the MP and come with an amended prayer as suggested, the Bench said.
Instead of seeking a direction as writ of mandamus, the petitioner can request a writ of quo warranto in the backdrop of the facts of the case, the Bench said.
The advocate obliged and assured to file a petition with the amended prayer.
