The Congress-led government in Andhra Pradesh appeared to be on shaky ground with over 20 MLAs on Tuesday defying the party diktat to attend party rebel Jaganmohan Reddys day-long fast here to protest against the injustice meted out to the state in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal award. Jagan declared that he was doing a favour to the Congress because if my MLAs resign,the Kiran Kumar Reddy government,which has 155 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly,would fall. Though embarrassed by the defiance of party MLAs,the Congress is unlikely to take any action against them given the tenuous majority that the Reddy regime has in the Andhra Assembly. Congress spokesman Manish Tewari sought to put on a brave face. The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh was never under any threat,is not not under any threat and would never be (under any threat). If any person has any illusions at all,they will be demystified soon, he said. Jagan staged a day-long fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi along with his supporters that included two Congress MPs Sabbam Hari and Rajamohan Reddy and more than 20 MLAs. Two Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) MLAs Shoba Naga Reddy and K Rama Reddy and two TDP legislators,Bal Naga Reddy and Prassana Kumar Reddy,were also present. Currently I am doing a favour to the Congress party because if my MLAs resign,the government there will fall, said the former Kadapa MP who had quit the Congress last November alleging humiliation in the party. Had I wanted,I could have done it a long time ago. I am a gentleman. So I am actually doing a favour to the Congress party, he told reporters,adding that he had asked his supporters to continue to be in the Congress. The Congress can do so if it wants to take action (against MPs and MLAs). My people are very categorically saying that they have nothing to do with the party and they are still there because I am only asking them to. They have also been saying that in 2014,they would be contesting elections on my party ticket and not the Congress ticket. They are very clearly exhibiting that if they are in the Congress,they are doing a favour to the Congress party, Jagan said. He refused to comment on the the report of the Srikrishna Committee,saying he did not want to dilute the topic. He had come to New Delhi on Monday night by a special train along with his supporters and farmers.
