YSR Congress Seeks President's Intervention To Disqualify Defector MLAs

The YSR Congress today sought the President's intervention to get 21 of its legislators, who defected to the ruling Telugu Desam party in Andhra Pradesh, disqualified immediately.

In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, YSRC chief and leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy regretted that no action has been taken against the defectors, in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of Constitution, in the last one-and-a-half-years despite several petitions filed with the Legislative Council Chairman and the Assembly Speaker.

"This is, to say the least, a grave assault on Constitution and democratic spirit. We brought this grave constitutional violation to the notice of all important constitutional institutions but no action has been taken against the defected legislators and, worse, four of them were made ministers in the AP government," Mr Reddy pointed out.

He said the YSRC legislature party, at its meeting yesterday, adopted a resolution deciding not to attend the ensuing session of the state legislature till the 20 MLAs and one MLC, who defected to TDP, were disqualified.

"The four defected MLAs who were made ministers should be dropped forthwith as their continuation in the state Council of Ministers is not only highly unethical but also unconstitutional and a mockery of democracy.