Congress MLAs to quit en masse?

Hyderabad: Congress MLAs are contemplating en masse resignations apart from considering other options to fight against the government which they say was stifling their voice. The grand old party, which has been willing to take the fight against the ruling party to the next level, is hoping that the idea of en-masse resignations would put pressure on the government. 

The Congress has 13 legislators in the Assembly, including the two lawmakers who have been expelled.
The Congress is furious with the ruling TRS over expulsion of two members from the Assembly and suspension of 11 other members from the House for this session.

It has already taken up a legal battle against the government and filed a case in the High Court. A delegation of the party leaders would meet the Election Commission of India officials and would present their case against the expulsions. 

The party is also planning to meet the President of India. The party has decided to take up agitations all over the state and already its expelled MLAs are on a hunger strike. The next round of agitations of the party against expulsions may begin from Friday.

Shocked with the expulsion of the party members from the Assembly, the Congress is serious to take on the government head on. The Congress wants to show the power of it to the ruling party. 

The state Congress leaders have left the final decision of the en masse resignations to the high command and it is expecting a positive response. Party in-charge RC Khuntia is discussing the idea with the senior leaders of the party. 

The Congress would intensify its stir against the government after the end of the present session of the Assembly and en masse resignations may become a part of the strategy.

According to sources, the party is expecting that the High Court would give a favourable order on the issue of expulsion of the MLAs and this would become a bitter lesson to the ruling party. If the court upholds the decision of the Assembly, the party has to think about other options. 

Senior leaders of the party said they had faith in the democracy and expect that their expulsion would be reversed. There were no precedents in the history of the country on expelling members from the Assembly through a resolution. 

However, if the expulsions are upheld and suspension continues they have no other option but going to the people. Elections would be a better choice to challenge the government.

The source said that the en-masse resignations would also show the unity among the party and that would boost the morale of the party cadre. “Workers would feel that the Congress would be one for all and all for one.  The legislators of the party would be ready to give up their posts for the sake of their
colleagues,” he said.