NEW DELHI: A day after four TDP Rajya Sabha members switched over to the BJP, five MPs of the Chandrababu Naidu-led party on Friday met Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu to challenge the defection of their former colleagues.
The delegation, which included three Lok Sabha MPs and two Rajya Sabha members, submitted a letter challenging the defection.
“We have come to know through media reports that four Rajya Sabha members have submitted a so-called resolution citing Tenth Schedule, paragraph 4, Point 2 of the Constitution of India, claiming that the TDP Legislature Party in the Rajya Sabha is merging with the BJP. However, as per Tenth Schedule, any merger of political parties must take place at the organisational level,” the letter stated, adding that there had been no merger of the TDP with the BJP.
The letter said the MPs who joined the BJP had “no authority, nor are they empowered to merge the TDP with the BJP”.
After meeting Naidu, TDP MP Jayadev Galla said, “Yesterday four Rajya Sabha members of the TDP had given a letter saying that they are merging the legislature party in Rajya Sabha and since they have 2/3rd majority, it should be accepted without any disqualification. Having gone through the law what we now understand is, merger of a political party has to take place at only organisational level. It cannot take place at legislature party level. Since the TDP and the BJP have not merged at the organisational level this is not a legal merger.”
‘App to help MPs’
LS Speaker Om Birla said he would work to see the Parliament library becomes the best in the world. “Digi-tisation of the library will be taken up... Members could benefit more with an App providing all infor-mation...This could help them familiarise with rules and regulations,” he said.