Accusing the ruling TDP of violating the constitution, YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy has now declared a dharna in all the Assembly constituencies in the state. Jagan is enraged after the Chandrababu Naidu government inducted four former YSRCP MLAs into his Cabinet, following their defection to TDP.

“We will hold a dharna on April 7 in all Assembly constituencies to highlight the violation of constitution in Andhra Pradesh, and to draw the national attention,” Jagan Reddy said.

The YSRCP is also planning to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to escalate the issue. Jagan Reddy also submitted a letter to Andhra Governor ESL Narasimhan on Monday, seeking immediate action on the issue.

The four new Ministers - Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao from Bobbili, C Adinarayana Reddy from Jammalamadugu, N Amaranath Reddy from Palamaner and Bhuma Akhila Priya from Allagadda - are among the 21 YSRCP MLAs who defected to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Jagan has called the induction of defected MLAs into the Cabinet a “mockery of the Constitution and democracy.”

“It is unethical on the part of Chandrababu Naidu to induct defected MLAs into the Cabinet, without asking them to resign their MLA posts. He himself has raked up the issue on a moral plank when Telangana Government had done the same with TDP,” said senior YSRCP leader YV Subba Reddy, referring to the Andhra Chief Minister’s criticism of the TRS government in Telangana.

The TRS government had inducted MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who defected to  their party from the TDP, into the Cabinet in December 2014.

At that time, Naidu had demanded that the defected MLAs in Telangana should quit and seek re-election.

On Monday, Jagan also pointed out that the 21 defected MLAs were included in the list of 66 YSRCP MLAs while announcing the strength of political parties during the recent budget session of AP Legislative Assembly.