VIJAYAWADA: Taking strong exception to the four defected legislators of his party being made ministers in State Cabinet, Opposition Leader and YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy wrote a letter to Governor ESL Narasimhan requesting him initiate corrective action against the four by using his discretionary powers.
In the letter, which was handed over to the Governor by Jagan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday, he said in the recent Cabinet expansion, four MLAs – N Amarnath Reddy, C Adinarayana Reddy, Ravu Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao and Bhuma Akhila Priya – who won on YSRC tickets, were sworn in as ministers in the AP Cabinet. The four, along with 17 other MLAs of YSRC, had defected to the TDP a year ago.
The YSRC chief said petitions requesting for disqualification of these MLAs under the 10th schedule of Constitution of India were submitted to Assembly Speaker a year ago. Even after several reminders, no action has been taken yet, Jagan said in the letter.
Jagan said the induction of four MLAs, who are facing charges which attract disqualification, is a mockery of Constitution.
Jagan pointed out that on the last date of the recently-concluded budget session of AP Legislative Assembly, while announcing the strength of various political parties, these 21 defected MLAs were included in the list of 66 YSRC MLAs.
The same has been published on the website of the AP Legislature, which was updated on March 31. He requested the Governor to uphold the values of democracy to initiate corrective measures against the four defected MLAs who were sworn in as ministers. He urged the Governor to insist upon the resignation of the said ministers and MLAs.
Later, Jagan told reporters that he had asked the Governor one question -- “Is it democratic to induct the defected MLAs into the State Cabinet before they are tendering their resignations?”.
He said they had reminded the state government of CM N Chandrababu Naidu’s reaction when TDP MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav in Telangana had defected to the ruling TRS.
“He (Naidu) had called the act a political prostitution and now what he is doing. Is it right,” Jagan asked.