VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's decision to induct four of the 21 defected YSRC MLAs into the Cabinet during the Sunday reshuffle led to wide criticism from his political opponents.
Interestingly, Naidu was critical of the TRS government in Telangana for inducting TDP MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav into TS Cabinet and even asked his partymen in Telangana to file cases against the TRS government in the court.
Of the 11 new ministers, Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao from Bobbili, C Adinarayana Reddy from Jammalamadugu, N Amaranath Reddy from Palamaner and Bhuma Akhila Priya from Allagadda are all YSRC MLAs and later defected to the Telugu Desam Party.
Terming the Sunday Cabinet expansion as a 'black day' in the history of Andhra Pradesh, YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy said the ruling TDP has not only made a joke of the democracy but also violated the Indian Constitution.
He said that all the defected MLAs had violated Anti-Defection Law and with their induction into the Cabinet, the defenders of the Indian Constitution - the Governor, the Chief Minister and the AP Legislative Assembly Speaker - have violated the law.
"No person who believes in the Indian Constitution would stoop to such low levels. People are watching the actions of TDP government and would teach them a befitting lesson in the next elections," Jagan said in a statement issued on Sunday.
He alleged that the TDP had purchased the MLAs who were elected on YSRC ticket and instead of disqualifying them, the Speaker has kept the issue pending without taking a decision.
The Opposition parties have pointed out that it was Naidu who cried foul when the TRS government inducted TDP legislator Talasani Srinivas Yadav into TS Cabinet in December 2014. Naidu had raised hue and cry when the TDP legislators joined the TRS.
He talked of ethics in politics criticised the TRS inducting the defected MLAs into the Cabinet.
He also demanded that the defected MLAs in Telangana State should quit and seek re-election. TD MLA A Revanth Reddy had even filed a case in the High Court, which is pending.
Meanwhile, CPI national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and CPM national leader B V Raghavulu expressed shock over the decision of Naidu. They accused the CM of violating the political ethics as well as the Indian Constitution. "There is no need for a Governor if he is only meant to nod his head to every suggestion from chief minister," Sudhakar Reddy said.
APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy also found fault with the Governor for accepting an unethical practice that was opposed by Naidu himself in Telangana. "The chief minister claims to practice ethical politics. It is funny that he himself is not following his preaching," he added.
However, BJP state president and Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu stated that the induction of legislators into the government is an "internal matter" of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.