The en masse resignations by the YSRC MLAs in protest against the Congress Party’s ‘unilateral move’ to decide the Telangana issue seems to have backfired on the fledgling party.
A day after 16 MLAs of the YSRC, who belong to Seemandhra, put in their papers protesting against Congress moves to bifurcate the state, Telangana leaders of the party including Konda Surekha and KK Mahender Reddy on Friday raised a banner of revolt against their party leadership for the resignation episode and threatened to quit the party.
Alleging that by resorting to en masse resignations, the Seemandhra MLAs of the party have portrayed it as a party which is against Telangana state, the T-leaders demanded explanation from their party leadership. They further wanted to know whether their party was really in favour of T-state or not.Following the warnings, party honorary president YS Vijayalakshmi went into a huddle with the party’s T-flock on Friday to pacify the irate leaders.
But, Vijayamma’s efforts to placate the Telangana leaders reportedly did not bear fruit as she failed to convince them over the resignations saga.
Sources said Vijayamma has sought two more days to make an announcement on the party’s stance on the T-issue. Following this, the party’s Telangana leaders gave an ultimatum to Vijayamma asking her to make a clear statement favouring statehood to Telangana within the stipulated time.
“Vijayamma has to clarify whether the decision to resign was taken on an individual basis by the MLAs or was it party’s decision to take an anti-Telangana stand. Basing on the explanation of the party leadership, we will decide our future course,” said former minister Konda Surekha, who is a strong leader of the party in Telangana. Konda Surekha revolted against party leadership. She threatened to declare her own plan of action, if Vijayamma failed to officially announce the party’s stand on Telangana.
Some of the TJAC leaders staged a dharna in front of the party headquarters here in protest against the resignations episode.
MLA G Srikanth Reddy met YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Chanchalguda prison on Friday. After meeting Jagan, Srikanth Reddy said all the 16 MLAs have resigned on their individual capacity.
Meanwhile, two more Congress legislators from Seemandhra- Adala Prabhakar Reddy and M Sridhara Krishna Reddy (both from Nellore district)- tendered their resignations in support of United Andhra.