12 Cong MLAs break away, Speaker recognises merger with TRS

In a big jolt to the Congress in Telangana, as many as 12 of its 18 MLAs were recognised as members of the ruling TRS by the Assembly Speaker Thursday hours after they moved him seeking merger of their group.

Capping a day of fast paced political developments, Speaker P Srinivas Reddy acceded to the request of the 12 MLAs considering the fact they constituted two-thirds of the Congress Legislature Party, a requirement for merger under the anti-defection law.

A bulletin from the assembly Thursday night said seats had been alloted to the 12 MLAs along with the members of the Telangana Rastra Samithi Legislature Party in the House.

Unless the merger is reversed, the Congress is set to lose its Opposition Party status in the assembly as its strength has come down to six.

AIMIM led by Hyderabad Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi has seven members in the assembly, while the BJP one. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had won two seats in the December polls, that saw the TRS scoring an impressive win, but one of them had also announced his decision to join the ruling party.

The Speaker's decision came after the embattled Congress cried foul, accusing the TRS of purchasing its MLAs and announcing its decision to move the court Friday.

The setback to the Congress in Telangana comes at a time when the party has been on the backfoot in several states following dissidence among its ranks after the Lok Sabha elections drubbing.

The day unfolded with the MLAs meeting Srinivas Reddy and giving him a representation for merger of their group after Rohith Reddy, representing Tandur constituency, became the 12th Congress legislator to jump the ship.

In what appears to be a calculated move, the decision of Rohit Reddy to desert the party came a day after the Congress strength in the assembly came down to 18 following the resignation of state party chief Uttam Kumar Reddy as MLA on his election to the Lok Sabha.

Rohith Reddy's decision boosted the strength of the defectors to the two-third figure, thus insulating them from any possible action under the anti-defection law or the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

Since early March, as many as 11 Congress MLAs had switched loyalties.

"...the Speaker has taken note that the said 12 members of the Congress Legislature Party who constitute two thirds of its total members in the Telangana Legislative Assembly are deemed to have been merged with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Legislature Party in Telangana Legislative Assembly in terms of paragraph 4 of the 10th schedule to the Constitution of India.

"Accordingly seats are allotted to them along with members of Telangana Rastra Samithi Legislature Party in the house, the assembly bulletin said.

Earlier in the day, Congress strongly protested against the development and targeted the TRS.

"This is completely illegal. KCR (TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) is cheating the mandate of the people of Telangana," Uttam Kumar Reddy told PTI.

He also held a protest on the Assembly premises along with Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka and senior party leaders.

Rohith Reddy, earlier in the day, met Rao's son KT Rama Rao and pledged his loyalty to the ruling outfit.

Takling to reporters after petitioning the Speaker, senior legislator Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy said the 12 MLAs decided to work with the Chief Minister for the "development of the state."