Congress, Telegu Desam Party to seek disqualification of 'rebel' MLAs

Ruling Congress and main Opposition Telugu Desam Party are set to crack the whip on "rebel" MLAs, who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh late last night.

Of the total 15 rebels, who defied their respective party's whip and voted in favour of the no-confidence motion, nine were from the Congress and six from the TDP.

"We will seek disqualification of these MLAs for having defied the party line," the Congress and the TDP announced today."We will definitely seek disqualification of the nine rebel MLAs who voted against the government. We will petition Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar for disqualification after discussing the issue in the party," Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivas told PTI.

TDP whip Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar also said they would soon file a petition with the Speaker seeking disqualification of six MLAs, who voted for the no-confidence motion and another legislator for having supported the motion when it was moved in the House.

The TDP will also issue a show-cause notice to another rebel MLA S Venugopalachari who stayed away from the proceedings without intimation yesterday.

The Congress government yesterday won a no-confidence

motion moved by TRS and supported by YSR Congress and other

opposition parties. Capping a day-long acrimonious debate in the Assembly that went on till small hours of today, the motion was defeated by 84 votes in a head count by division.

The no-confidence motion moved by TSR legislature party leader E Rajender got 58 votes in favour of it and 142 votes

against it.The main opposition TDP remained neutral and the total number of neutral MLAs was 64.

The Congress MLAs who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion were: Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy, Alla Srinivas (Nani), M Rajesh, Perni Venkata Ramaiah (Nani), Jogi Ramesh, B Siva Prasad Reddy, Gottipati Ravi Kumar and Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy.

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