New chief whip: BRS attacks Cong over nod

Harish questioned legitimacy of council chairman issuing bulletin to appoint Mahender Reddy as chief whip while disqualification plea is under consideration
Hyderabad: BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao has voiced his concerns over the appointment of Patnam Mahender Reddy as chief whip, terming it as unconstitutional. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he accused the Congress party of violating constitutional norms.
"The chief whip's role is to facilitate the passage of legislation and ensure the orderly functioning of govt operations. To whom will Mahender Reddy direct the whip — ruling party members or the opposition?" he asked. Harish clarified that a whip is meant to ensure party members adhere to directives. If Mahender Reddy were to issue a whip to the opposition, it would raise questions about his party loyalty, he said.
Harish emphasized that the current situation in the state reflects further constitutional infringements. Harish also referred to the Speaker's claim that the BRS party had 38 members at the end of the legislative assembly session — a claim later echoed by Congress members but subsequently retracted.
Additionally, he noted that Mahender Reddy's disqualification petition remains unresolved with the chairman.
He questioned the legitimacy of the council chairman issuing a bulletin to appoint Mahender Reddy as chief whip while the disqualification petition is still under consideration.
Harish pointed out that Mahender Reddy had campaigned for a Congress party MP candidate, which he viewed as a clear instance of party defection.