Andhra no-trust motion: 9 Cong, 9 TDP MLAs get notice

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar on Saturday issued notices to nine Congress and as many Telugu Desam Party MLAs on petitions seeking their disqualification for voting in favour of the no-confidence motion against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.

The speaker asked the rebel legislators to respond within two weeks to the disqualification petitions filed against them by their respective parties for having violated the whip.

The nine Congress MLAs are: Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy, M Rajesh, Alla Srinivas (Nani), Perni Venkata Ramaiah (Nani), Jogi Ramesh, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, B Siva Prasad Reddy and Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy.

Of the nine Congress MLAs, Ranga Rao, Rajesh and Alla Nani had submitted their resignations to the speaker a few months ago after they walked out of the party and joined the YSR Congress.

Though Peddireddi has submitted resignation from his post, he is yet to formally come out of the ruling party and tipped to join the YSR Congress.

The other rebel MLAs have also been sailing with the YSR Congress for some time now.

The nine rebels from the TDP are: Amarnath Reddy, Praveen Kumar Reddy, Y Balanagi Reddy, Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao (Nani), Chinnam Ramakotaiah, Taneti Vanitha, P Sairaj, K Harishwar Reddy and S Venugopalachari.

Of the TDP rebels, Amarnath Reddy, Praveen Kumar, Kodali Nani, T Vanita, Balanagi Reddy and Sairaj joined the YSR Congress while Harishwar Reddy crossed over to Telangana Rashtra Samiti. Venugopalachari and Ramakotaiah are yet to formally join any other outfit.

The Congress had submitted the disqualification petition on March 23 while the TDP on March 28, days after the ruling Congress government won a no-confidence motion moved by Telangana Rashtra Samithi and supported by YSR Congress and other opposition parties.