Congress firefights as nine of its MLAs join TRS

HYDERABAD: With the crossover of nine of its 19 MLAs to Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Congress petitioned Governor ESL Narasimhan on Wednesday, accusing CM K Chandrasekhar Rao of engineering defections with the code of conduct in place.

Congress urged the governor to send their copy of representation to the president to impose central rule in Telangana by invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. Congress will also file a case pertaining to defections with the Lokpal, pursue further legal action and meet the president. “This will probably be the first complaint lodged in the Lokpal,” former Union minister and AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily said.

Congress named the nine defecting MLAs and demanded the governor refer its representation forthwith to the president. Congress expressed apprehensions that the Speaker, who is a TRS member, may not disqualify the nine MLAs. The MLAs crossed over just three months after their win in assembly elections.

Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the media statements by defecting MLAs were drafted in the CM’s office. “It would be substantial evidence against KCR. He can escape today but he cannot escape tomorrow or thereafter. He will have to suffer for this,” Moily said.

“Of course, we have to be blamed for creating a Frankenstein (sic) like KCR in Telangana. We did it for the sake of Telangana, not KCR,” he said, referring to the creation of the state by the UPA government.

Top leaders say they are looking at restructuring the state unit after the LS polls. “Favouritism in the party and one-way appointments have to make way for honesty. We need a leadership where the workers have confidence that leaders are straight, and we have not given confidence to our workers,” a senior AICC secretary said.