Andhra special status: Lok Sabha Speaker accepts resignation of 5 YSRCP MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday accepted the resignations of five Lok Sabha MPs of the YSRCP.

The MPs had submitted their resignations on April 6 -- the last day of budget session -- to protest against the refusal of the Central government to accord Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

According to a bulletin from Lok Sabha, the Speaker has accepted the resignations of the MPs with effect from June 20.

The speaker's move came two weeks after YSR Congress Parliamentary Party leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and others met her to convey that they stand by their resignations and urged her to accept the same immediately.

The other MPs are YV Subba Reddy, Vara Prasadarao Velagapalli, Midhun Reddy and YS Avinash Reddy.

As the Speaker on May 29 had requested the MPs to reconsider their resignations, they met her in the national capital on June 6 to submit fresh letters, urging her to accept their resignations.

The development comes amidst the high-pitch political turmoil in the state over Special Category Status. While the ruling TDP, which pulled out of BJP led NDA government is lashing out at its former ally and accusing it of 'cheating of 5 crore Andhra people', the YSRCP is targeting the TDP and the BJP.

Special Category Status

The Fifth Finance Commission introduced SCS in 1969 giving Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Nagaland, additional central assistance and tax concessions.  

With time, the number of states granted SCS has risen to 11. 

‘Special category status’ is a classification given by the Centre to assist in development of those states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages like hilly terrains, strategic international borders, tribal population, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable state finances.

During discussion on the AP Reorganization Bill, 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured five years of SCS for the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, but the present BJP government has said that the provision was dropped by the 14th Finance Commission.

Politics ahead

Several political observers are seeing the resignations of YSRCP MPs as a calculated move by party chief Jaganmohan Reddy, keeping early elections in 2019 in mind.

The acceptance of resignations may likely boost the YSRCP chief’s state wide political walkathon, which recently crossed the 2,000 km milestone.

The timing of the resignations being accepted has also raised eyebrows as the Election Commission of India (ECI) generally does no conduct bye-elections to a vacant seat, if there is less than a year before the next elections. However, ECI may also conduct bye-elections within six months from the date of acceptance of resignation of any member of Lok Sabha.

Therefore, it remains to be seen if fresh elections will be held. 

Speaking to TNM earlier, YSRCP General Secretary Vijaya Sai Reddy said that their party would contest in bye-elections if needed. The TDP too, has said the same.

IANS inputs