Shabbir miffed with merger

Hyderabad: Former Minister and former Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Friday said a wrong impression was being created that all the 12 MLAs, who defected from the Congress, met on June 6 to seek merger with the TRS.

Addressing the media he said two MLAs Kantha Rao Rega and Athram Sakku joined the TRS on March 2 followed by Chirumarthi Lingaiah (March 10), Haripriya Banoth (March 11), Patlolla Sabitha Indra Reddy (March 13), Kandala Upender Reddy (March 14), Devi Reddy Sudheer Reddy (March 15), Vanama Venkateswara Rao (March 18), Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy (March 20), Jajala Surender (March 27), Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy (April 22) and Rohith Reddy (June 6).

Shabbir Ali also dismissed the allegations that Congress encouraged similar defection of TRS MLAs while it was in power in 2006. He said that 10 TRS MLAs had revolted against K Chandrashekar Rao and disqualification petitions were moved against them in February 2007. However, the then Speaker KR Suresh Reddy, who is now with TRS, took action only after 18 months.

He said on December 22, 2008, the then Speaker Suresh Reddy disqualified three rebel TRS MLAs and accepted the resignation of six other MLAs. Instead of blaming Congress, Chandrashekar Rao should ask Suresh Reddy for delayed action.

He said unlike former Speaker Madhusudana Chary and present Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, the Assembly Speakers under Congress period were not puppets.

On March 2, 2012, the then Speaker Nadendla Manohar had disqualified 16 Congress MLAs for violation of party whip.