Procedural lapses dent Telangana Assembly credibility, says BRS MLA Harish Rao in open letter to Speaker

Bharat Rashtra Saimithi (BRS) senior leader and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao has faulted the functioning of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, claiming that many ‘serious procedural errors’ have damaged the credibility of the legislature. He also emphasized that all Parliamentary committees should be formed immediately, as well as the appointment of the Deputy Speaker.

In his open letter to Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Sunday, December 7, 2025, Mr. Rao detailed various procedural errors that he said had adversely affected the functioning of the House in two years.

The former minister also expressed concern over the Speaker’s alleged inaction on the issue of defaulting MLAs, urging him to dispose of all pending disqualification petitions in accordance with constitutional, statutory and judicial requirements.

Mr. Rao also lamented the reduction in working days of the House, pointing out that Rule 12 mandates that sessions be conducted for as many days as is necessary for legislative business. “Ensure that the Assembly functions for at least 30 working days in a year,” he said, adding that the process for the election of Deputy Speaker must be initiated.

The BRS leader also criticized adjournments declared without ‘valid reasons’, saying it was against Rule 13 on session timings and Rule 16 on adjournment procedures. Mr. Rao also questioned the functioning of Question Hour and Zero Hour during the session, stating that starred questions were ignored and additional questions were not answered.

Calling for urgent reform, the BRS MLA emphasized the need to follow the rules to preserve the dignity of democratic institutions.