YSR Congress urges speaker to disqualify defectors

Andhra Pradesh's opposition YSR Congress Party on Saturday urged the assembly speaker to disqualify 16 party legislators who defected to ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

A delegation of party legislators met Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao Ahere and submitted a memorandum, demanding that those elected to the assembly on the symbol of YSRCP but crossing over to another party should be disqualified under anti-defection law.

The lone opposition party, which had submitted similar petitions to the speaker earlier, made another bid in the wake of four more of its members defecting to TDP this week. The development also assumed significance as YSRCP is planning to approach the court seeking disqualification of defectors.

YSRCP alleged that TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is engineering defections. Party president and leader of opposition Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, during his visit to Delhi this week, met central ministers and leaders of various political parties as part of his 'save democracy' campaign.

Jagan, as the leader is popularly known, alleged that Naidu is buying each member for Rs.20 crore to Rs.30 crore. He also alleged that Naidu is using the corruption money from various scams to buy the legislators.

Jagan had also called on Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to demand that all the MLAs who defected to TDP be disqualified.

Due to series of defections during last few months, YSRCP's strength in 176-member assembly has come down from 67 to 51.

--IANS

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