(Prashanth Reddy)
The Congress dared Chief Minister KCR to hold fresh elections in all the 12 constituencies of Congress MLAs, who defected to TRS sometime back.
These MLAs, calling themselves as CLP, applied for a merger with TRS and Telangana speaker Pocharam Srinivasluru Reddy approved the merger.
Reacting to the speaker’s decision, AICC in-charge for Telangana RC Khuntia said it’s now morally incumbent upon the defected to seek a fresh mandate from the people.
” MLAs are free to join any party they like. However, they should first resign from the party they were elected from and seek re-election,” the senior Congress leader said.
Chief Minister KCR, he said, should advise the defected MLAs to resign and seek a fresh mandate.
Addressing media along with TPCC president N Uttamkumar Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, TPCC working president Kusum Kumar and senior leader Shabbir Ali Khuntia slammed Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy for taking a decision in favor of CLP merger with TRS when the disqualification notices were pending and slated for hearing on June 11..
“The Speaker’s action was disgraceful and has brought disgrace to the constitutional post”, he said.
Khuntia said the party would challenge the speaker’s decision in the High Court on Monday.
“ The party is collecting evidence to prove that the MLAs were lured with money and power. This will also be taken to the Lokpal,” Khuntia said.
Stating that he would sit on ‘deeksha’ against the ‘undemocratic’ merger at Dharna Chowk on Saturday, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka said if the government refuses to give permission for the deeksha, we will stage the sit-in in front of the Speaker’s residence.”People will definitely teach him a lesson and day is not far off,” Bhatti said.