YSR Congress MPs to quit over special status to Andhra

All MPs of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will resign immediately if Parliament is adjourned sine die without an announcement over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, a party leader said on Monday.

This decision was taken at a meeting that YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy had with the party MPs to discuss the future course of action.

Lok Sabha member M. Rajmohan Reddy told reporters after the meeting that if Parliament is adjourned sine die on April 5 without any announcement, all YSRCP MPs will tender their resignations the next day.

The party had earlier decided that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government fails to make an announcement on the special status demand, its MPs would quit on the last day of the ongoing Parliament session.

The party has also urged the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to resign over the issue, saying this would put pressure on the Centre.

Both the YSRCP and the TDP, which pulled out of the NDA on March 16, have moved no-confidence motions against the government over its refusal to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh as committed at the time of the state's bifurcation in 2014. But, the same could not be taken up by the Lok Sabha Speaker throughout last week due to the protests by the AIADMK and TRS members over various issues.

Jaganmohan Reddy, who is currently on a statewide "padyatra" (foot march), on Monday held a meeting with the party MPs in Guntur district to take stock of the latest situation.

Out of the six Lok Sabha members of the YSR Congress, five attended the meeting. Both members of the Rajya Sabha were also present.

As Parliament will resume on Tuesday after the holidays and the Congress party has also decided to move a no-confidence motion, the meeting chalked out the strategy to be adopted by the party.

Rajmohan Reddy ruled out any alliance with the BJP and said the YSR Congress would go it alone in the elections. He, however, said the party will consider joining hands with the Left parties.

--IANS

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