YSR Congress suspends four defiant MLAs for cross voting

AMARAVATHI: The YSR Congress Party has suspended four of its legislators from the party.

The suspended legislators are: Anam Ramanarayana Reddy (Venkatagiri), Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy (Nellore Rural), Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy (Udayagiri) and Undavalli Sridevi (Tadikonda).

The party identified them as the ones who had resorted to cross-voting in favour of the Telugu Desam Party nominee in the elections held for the posts of MLCs on Thursday. The MLAs of Andhra Pradesh Assembly formed part of the electorate.

Official spokesperson of the party Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy announced the suspension on Friday.

He alleged that TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu “bought over our MLAs by offering them huge sums ranging from Rs 10 cr to Rs 15 cr each.”

The YSR Congress was jolted when it’s seventh candidate lost the election as opposed to the TDP nominee Panchumarthi Anuradha who secured the highest number of votes — 23 — and was elected.

The YSR Congress fielded seven candidates for seven posts as it had a strength of 151 MLAs of its own and four TDP MLAs and one Janasena MLA who had switched their loyalties to the YSR Congress.

However, Anam and Kotamreddy have been stoking rebellion against YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s leadership for quite sometime. Both of them asserted that they would contest the next elections on behalf of the TDP. Sensing trouble from Anam, the YSR Congress had appointed Nedurumalli Ramkumar Reddy as the party incharge of Venkatagiri constituency. Annoyed by this, he began being very vocal against the leadership. After the Cabinet expansion, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy expressed his displeasure for not being inducted. In fact, Sridhar Reddy has consistently talked against the leadership subtly on many an occasion. He used to pass snide remarks even in TV debates that would obliquely support the TDP and push the YSR Congress into embarrassing situations.

While Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy had expected to be inducted into the Cabinet after the sudden demise of his brother’s son Mekapati Gautham Reddy who was serving as the IT Minister in Jagan’s Government.

However, Jagan inducted Kakani Govardhan Reddy in the Cabinet which irked Mekapati.

Also, Jagan had informed Chandrasekhar Reddy that he would not be renominated on behalf of the party in the next elections. Instead, the party appointed another incharge for the constituency. Ditto with Sridevi, as a new incharge was appointed for Tadikonda Assembly seat.

The YSR Congress has been expecting that these legislators would play truant, but did not expect them to turn the tables against the party at the MLC elections.

Unable to take the defiance or revolt kindly, the party suspended them , even though Sridevi and Chandrasekhar Reddy have statements that they had not resorted to cross-voting.

With such a huge majority too, the YSR Congress had to swallow the bitter pill administered by the impudent legislators grudgingly.