Hyderabad: In a major jolt to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu The High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on Tuesday issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh government and four ministers on a petition challenging their induction into the state cabinet.

The notices were issued to N. Amarnath Reddy, C. Adinarayana Reddy, R.S. Krishna Ranga Rao and Bhuma Akhila Priya, who were inducted into the cabinet in April after they defected to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the YSR Congress Party. The High Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a journalist Sivaprasad Reddy, challenging their induction. The petitioner argued that the induction of defected legislators in the ministry was unconstitutional.

While admitting the petition for hearing, the High Court issued notices to the government and the four ministers, asking them to file counter affidavits. The High Court adjourned the hearing by four weeks. The court is also hearing a separate PIL by the same petitioner challenging the induction of T. Srinivas Yadav in the Telangana cabinet. Srinivas Yadav, who was elected as a legislator of the TDP, was made a minister after he switched loyalties to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

The High Court’s direction assumed significance following the YSR Congress party’s demand to AP Assembly speaker to disqualify the four MLAs for defecting the party . However, the Speaker was yet to take an action against the turncoats.