Congress may crack whip on 6 rebel MPs

New Delhi: The Congress is likely to crack the whip against the Seemandhra Congress MPs and suspend the six Seemandhra Congress MPs, who signed the Notice for moving the No-Confidence Motion. The six Seemandhra Congress MPs, who face action, are L Rajagopal, Vundavalli Arun Kumar, Sabbam Hari, A Sai Pratap, G V Harsha Kumar and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao.

AICC spokesman P C Chacko said that all the six Seemandhra Congress MPs face disciplinary action and could be suspended from the primary membership of the Congress. Disciplinary action would follow, as what they had done was an act of indiscipline, he said. On Wednesday evening, Digvijay Singh said that they had taken note of the No-Confidence Motion moved by six MPs.

“Appropriate action will be taken as per the rules of Parliament.” Although the Seemandhra MPs claimed growing support to their move for No-Confidence Motion against the Government, Janata Dal (United) general secretary K C Tyagi was latest to assert that the JD (U) was against supporting the No-Trust Move.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party made it clear these parties were wary of the No-Trust Move. Significantly, the No-Confidence Motion could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, as a result of constant disruptions in the House.

Speaker Meira Kumar said that three sets of Notices of No-Confidence Motion were received by her, one by the 6 Seemandhra Congress MPs, another by 4 TDP MPs and a third by 3 YSRCP MPs. However, it cannot be taken up, unless and until order is restored in the House. As disruptions continued to persist, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the House for the day.

The Seemandhra and the Telangana MPs then proceeded to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on the Telangana Bill. Although the Andhra Pradesh MPs claimed it was meant purely to wish President Pranab Mukherjee, who turned 78 on Wednesday, it is learnt that the MPs did plead with the President on the Telangana Bill.

While the Telangana MPs wanted the President to expedite the process on Telangana, the Seemandhra MPs wanted him to provide adequate time to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to consider the Telangana Bill.