Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Friday, March 24, suspended four rebel MLAs who voted for the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate in Legislative Council elections from MLA quota. A day after suffering a shock defeat for one of the seven Council seats from MLAs quota, the YSRCP announced suspension of the four MLAs.
While two of them, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, had already raised the banner of revolt, two others -- Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy and Undavalli Sridevi -- were identified after the MLC election results on Thursday. Interestingly, the action against Sridhar Reddy came a few hours after he joined the TDP.
YSRCP General Secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy told media persons that the disciplinary committee of the party decided to suspend the four MLAs. He said the decision was taken after discussion with party president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Sajjala alleged that TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu purchased each MLA for Rs 10 to Rs 15 crore.
He said the party took the action after it reached the conclusion that the four MLAs resorted to cross-voting. The YSRCP leader alleged that the four MLAs voted for the TDP candidate as they were lured with money. Sajjala also added that the TDP might have said that they will also give tickets to those cross-voted.
In the 175-member Assembly, the YSRCP has 151 members and it was confident of securing votes of four rebel MLAs of the TDP and the lone MLA of Jana Sena Party (JSP). The TDP, which had 23 seats in the Assembly, was left with 19 members as four others had switched loyalties to the YSRCP. Sajjala claimed that four TDP MLAs had crossed over to the YSRCP as they liked the party's work.
Meanwhile, reacting to the YSRCP's decision to suspend him, Chandrasekhar Reddy said he welcomed it. He said he was feeling relaxed after the party's decision.
And, the ex-president of the YSRCP Seva Dal, Mr Kotamreddy Giridhar Reddy, along with a large number of his followers joined the TDP in the presence of Mr Chandrababu Naidu at the party headquarters.
"When a service-minded leader like Mr Giridhar Reddy could not continue in the party, how can a common party activist continue in the YSRCP," Mr Chandrababu asked and felt that Mr Jagan is a kind of person who always deceives those who trust him. Mr Charndrababu predicted that Mr Jagan will certainly not win the next election.
Recalling that the TDP emerged victorious even in the Graduates constituency polls too held recently for the Legislative Council, Mr Chandrababu said that the party won the election even in the home constituency of Mr Jagan. Now the slogan of 'psycho should go and cycle should come back' has been resounding across the State, he added.