Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan Rejects MLC Nominations, Sparks Political Firestorm

MLC Nominations Rejected: BRS and Ministers Question Telangana Governor Fairness and Accuse BJP of Being Anti-BC

Telangana’s Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s recent decision to reject the State Cabinet’s nominations for Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) has sparked debate. The Governor’s decision has caused conflict with the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS); its members are now questioning her office’s fairness. 

“Governors are Modi’s agents,” MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao said while speaking to reporters at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday. Condemning the Governor’s “attitude” and alleging that the BJP and Congress were working hand in glove in Telangana, he added, “We did not expect the Governor to reject their nominations. She used the word unfit. But who is unfit? You or your Modi?” KTR asked. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming rally in Mahabubnagar on October 1, 2023. “Answer the questions to the people of Telangana before entering Mahabubnagar,” KT Rama Rao challenged PM, asking him to explain the Centre’s treatment of the Palamuru Project and the unresolved Krishna River water sharing issue. “Modi should discuss the TS share in Krishna waters. He should explain why he has failed to pass the order to the tribunal to provide the rightful 770 TMC of Krishna River water to Palamuru. He should accord national project status to the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme,” KT Rama Rao demanded. 

KT Rama Rao pointed out that leaders from both the BJP and Congress have been appointed MLCs under the Governor’s quota in different states. He observed that these two major parties collaborate on nominating their leaders. “However, they take issue with the nomination of leaders who championed Telangana’s statehood,” he said. He further claimed that in Karnataka, the BJP and Congress were working together to nominate their leaders to the Council via the Governor’s quota.

Telangana Legislative Council member K Kavitha accused the Governor of breaking the federal spirit. “Everyone feels that the Governor’s rejection is against the federal spirit of the country,” said Kavitha, raising a fundamental question: “Is India operating under the Constitution of Bharat or the Constitution of the Bharatiya Janata Party?” 

“The Governor’s decision demonstrates the BJP’s contempt for the underprivileged,” said Kavitha, touching upon the Women’s Reservation Bill and Backward Classes (BCs) political development. The Governor’s rejections prove that the BJP is an anti-BC party,” MLC said. “Those two persons nominated by the state Cabinet belong to the BC community. In a bid to provide opportunities to those who could not come to the legislature through direct elections, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao proposed these names,” explained Kavitha.

Earlier today, Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy accused the Governor and said, “By the time she became the Governor, she was the president of the BJP party,” questioning the Governor’s eligibility for her post based on the criteria she used to reject the MLC nominations. “As such, the criteria she cited to reject the Cabinet’s proposal, she too was not eligible for the Governor’s post,” he added.

“Both were active in politics, and there was no evidence to indicate that they had achievements to their credit either in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, or social service,” said Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, explaining her decision to reject the nominations of BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan and K Satyanarayana for MLCs under the Governor’s quota. She cited Article 171(5) of the Indian Constitution, which mandates that nominees have special knowledge in these fields.

Backing the Governor’s decision and thanking her, Union Minister and G Kishan Reddy said: “It’s the right of the Governor…Whatever she has done is good,” He accused the BRS and the KCR family of nepotism, stating, “KCR gives tickets to those who serve his family.”

With inputs from PTI