Telangana Assembly Speaker rejected a plea by BRS seeking disqualification of five of its MLAs who defected to ruling Congress after 2023 Assembly elections. The decision, concerning MLAs Tellam Venkat Rao, Arekapudi Gandhi, Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy, TP Prakash Goud and Gudem Mahipal Reddy, comes after Supreme Court earlier warned the Speaker of contempt proceedings if a decision was not made.