The YSRCP MPs who had tendered their resignations in April met the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday in response to the Speaker’s call.
The five MPs belonging to the YSR Congress Party had resigned from their seats in the Parliament protesting the Centre’s failure to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.
The discontent in AP had increased after the Union budget failed to grant adequate funds and SCS along with other bifurcation promises. The state also saw widespread protests from the Opposition YSRCP and the ruling TDP, among other organisations.
The MPs who resigned are YV Subbareddy, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, YS Avinash Reddy, Varaprasada Rao and PV Mithun Reddy.
All their resignation letters, which were submitted to the Speaker on April 6, had only one line: “I hereby tender my resignation of my Lok Sabha seat in the House with immediate effect.”
Earlier, after a meeting with the MPs on May 29, the Speaker had asked them to meet her on June 6.
After the meeting with the Speaker on Wednesday, the MPs claimed that they had reiterated their intention to resign and that their resignations would be accepted.
Speaking to the media, MP YV Subbareddy said, “We have asked the Speaker to accept our resignations.”
The MPs further claimed that the Speaker had assured them that their resignations would be accepted. The Speaker has apparently asked for “re-confirmation” letters in order for her to accept the resignations.
Lashing out at Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu for encouraging defections from the YSRCP, YV Subbareddy challenged the CM to get the defected MLAs to resign and stand for bye-elections.
MP YS Avinash Reddy, slamming the CM for dubbing their resignations as drama said, “We have never done dishonest politics, we never sold our values, we don’t want your certificate, we are doing politics for the people.”
He further said, “Both parties – the TDP and the BJP – will face flak for cheating the people of Andhra Pradesh.”
While an official statement is yet to come from the Speaker’s office regarding the acceptance of the resignations, the Election Commission of India will take a decision on conducting bye-elections for the seats that would become vacant due to the resignations.
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