VIJAYAWADA: YSR Congress leaders led by party general secretary V Vijaya Sai Reddy, met Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao on Sunday and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate disqualification of the 23 MLAs of their party who had defected to the ruling TDP.
Later, Vijaya Sai Reddy told mediapersons that if the Speaker disqualifies the 23 turncoat MLAs immediately, his party is ready to attend the budget session of the Assembly from March 6. “As per Schedule X of the Constitution, disqualification petitions should be disposed of. If the Speaker does it, our party MLAs, after participating in the protest in New Delhi on March 5, will be attending the Assembly from March 6 onwards,” he said.
He also stressed the need for the Speaker to notify Denduluru Assembly seat vacant in the wake of the court convicting the incumbent legislator Chintamaneni Prabhakar. Citing a Supreme Court judgment in the case of Lily Thomas vs Union Government, he said that as per order, any MP, MLA or MLC, who is convicted of a crime and awarded a minimum of two year imprisonment, loses membership of the House with immediate effect.
“They will be deemed to be a persona non grata with immediate effect and will not be eligible for any of the proceedings of the House. TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar was convicted by Bhimadole court in two cases and sentenced to two and half years imprisonment. Hence, the Speaker should notify Denduluru Assembly seat vacant,” he said.
When asked about TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision with regard to Third Front, he said as there was no clarity on the issue, there is no need to respond at this hour.
On being asked about Pawan Kalyan finding fault with the YSRC for its decision to move a no-confidence motion on March 21, party senior leader and MLC Ummareddy Venkateswarlu said Jana Sena Party chief’s remark was uncalled for. “We are well aware of when to move the no-confidence motion,” he said and termed is “a calculated risk.” He said as per the direction of party chief, the YSRC MPs will tender their resignation on April 6.