No Vote for Defected MLAs, demands Congress

Hyderabad, March 3 (INN): The Congress party has announced that it would wage a full scale constitutional battle against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao who engineered defection of two Congress MLAs to TRS ahead of MLC elections.

TPCC President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other MLAs and MLCs staged a dharna at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Assembly premises on Sunday to protest against the Chief Minister's latest drive to make opposition MLAs defect to the ruling party.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy accused KCR of turning Telangana State into a symbol of oppression and injustices. He said KCR was expected to act like a statesman after becoming the Chief Minister for second term. However, he said KCR has again resorted to cheap politics by encouraging defections in opposition parties. He condemned KCR for making two Congress MLAs - Athram Sakku and Rega Kantha Rao to TRS only to illegally win the fifth MLC seat in forthcoming elections.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was unconstitutional and unethical on the part of TRS to field the fifth candidate in MLC elections without having the required numerical strength. He said both the defected MLAs should be disqualified immediately and they must be deprived of voting rights in the MLC elections. "In his first term as CM, KCR gained notoriety for indulging in cheap politics. We expected that at least this time he would behave properly. But as against everyone's expectation, KCR is again resorting to cheap and down market politics," he alleged.

The TPCC chief said it was essential for all, especially the elected representatives, to honour the decision of the people in order to facilitate the functioning of State in a democratic manner. "When we were approached for support for the unanimous elections of Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker, we cooperated with the TRS as we did not have the required numbers. However, TRS has fielded a fifth candidate in MLC elections despite knowing well that it had the strength to get only four MLCs. This was done only to encourage defections and horse trading. By making two Congress MLAs defect to TRS, KCR has smothered the democracy again," he said.

Referring to a newspaper headline which read 'KCR gives shocker to Congress', Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was not a shock for the Congress party, but for the entire parliamentary democracy and society. STs have voted for Congress party in Asifabad and Pinapaka constituencies as they were angry with TRS Government for the injustices that it has done with their community. "By making MLAs of these two constituencies defect to TRS, KCR has ridiculed the verdict of people of Asifabad and Pinapaka. He apparently wants to give a message that the Tribals and Adivasis were too weak and they could not hurt him even after voting against his government in an election," he said and demanded TRS to explain as to how much money was given to those MLAs and from where that money has come.

Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the Congress party would hold dharnas in Asifabad and Pinapaka constituencies on March 5 at 11 am. He said a complaint would also be lodged against the Election Commission of India on the issues seeking immediate disqualification of MLAs. Further, he said both the MLAs should not be allowed to vote in the MLC elections to be held on March 12.

CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, in his speech, accused KCR of murdering the democracy in Telangana. He said that the Congress party would expose the unconstitutional and undemocratic practices of KCR across Telangana State.

Earlier, 15 MLAs were present in the CLP meeting while two others did not attend. While Pilot Rohit Reddy is out of station, Upender Reddy was unwell and they accordingly informed the CLP.