Patnam Mahender Reddy, a BRS MLC, was appointed as the government chief whip in the Telangana Legislative Council through an official notification issued in March 2024. Additionally, Arekapudi Gandhi, the BRS MLA from Serilingampally, was named chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and former Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy was appointed as the advisor to the government on agriculture.
These appointments, seen as efforts to consolidate political strength, have been met with criticism from opposition leaders. T. Harish Rao, a senior leader from BRS, raised objections, labeling the appointment of Mahender Reddy as unconstitutional. Rao pointed out that a disqualification petition was still pending against Reddy and that his appointment as chief whip contradicts parliamentary norms, particularly given his association with both the BRS and Congress. Rao further criticized the government for ignoring these concerns during key events like Independence Day and Telangana Liberation Day, where Mahender Reddy’s role as an MLC was acknowledged but not his position as chief whip.
