Telangana High Court issues notices on plea challenging merger of CLP

HYDERABAD: As there were no counter-affidavits to two notices since June 2019, challenging the bulletins issued for merging of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council into the TRS Legislature Party, the Telangana High Court has once again issued notices to all respondents in the petitions.

Two days ago, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy had issued notices under the 10^th Schedule of the Constitution  to  the Assembly Speaker, the Legislative Council Chairman, secretary of the Legislature Secretariat and the  12 MLAs and four MLCs who defected to the TRS after they were elected on a Congress ticket.

The bench gave liberty to the petitioners to serve notices to the respondents, who have not filed counters so far, in person.

After the merger notifications and bulletins were issued by the  Legislative Secretariat secretary, the CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and state Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy had filed a petition challenging the merger of the CLP with the TRSLP. 

Shabbir Ali filed a separate petition challenging the merger. Both petitions came for hearing on June 12, 2019 and notices were issued to all respondents, asking them to file their reply. However, most of them have not filed their explanation.