In yet another case of sitting legislators deserting a sinking Congress in Telangana, three MLAs have reportedly agreed to join the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which would take the count of the opposition party to 6, in the 119-member House.
Besides Bhupalpalle MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah, Sangareddy MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, better known as Jagga Reddy, is also planning to defect to the TRS. Reports suggest that they will jump parties on April 24. A former whip of the Telangana Congress, Jagga Reddy was arrested in September last year by the Hyderabad police on charges of alleged human trafficking and forging fake passports.
While Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Uttam Kumar Reddy dismissed the speculation, it has been learnt that they contacted the MLAs and appealed to them against leaving the Congress.
The TRS, which had bagged 88 seats in 119-member Assembly in the elections held in December, has crossed the 100 mark with the defection of several Congress MLAs, one legislator of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and two independents.
With the Assembly session scheduled in June, the defected legislators of the Congress may request the Assembly Speaker to recognize their merger with the ruling party. Under the anti-defection law, if two-third of the legislators of a party defect, they will not attract disqualification.
The Congress may even lose the status of main opposition party as it requires 10 percent of the total strength of the House. If this happens, Leader of Opposition Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka stands to lose the title, and along with it, benefits of a cabinet minister rank.
The opposition party has already demanded that the defectors be disqualified and even asked President’s Rule to be imposed in Telangana. The Congress has also urged the Governor to direct the Assembly Speaker to disqualify those MLAs who have announced that they were leaving the Congress.