AP Bracing Another By-Polls By Axing Defiant MLAs

Another round of by-elections are likely with as many as 16 MLAs from both Congress and Telugu Desam supporting the no-confidence motion against the Congress government on Friday night. However, it is not known whether the parties are ready for a pre-final examination before they actually get into the mode for general elections.

In fact, the rebels have thrown a challenge to the two parties to disqualify them from the Assembly and face by-elections but their wish will be fulfilled only if the two parties lodge complaints with Speaker Nadendla Manohar.

Once the petitions are received, the Speaker may take two to three months like he did last year and disqualify the MLAs. In turn, the Election Commission will require at least 45 days for making arrangements for the smooth conduct of the by-polls.

It is unlikely that the Election Commission will conduct the by-polls along with the Karnataka Assembly elections in June. In all probability, the prospect of by-polls happening is only after July. Elections to the local bodies will be completed by that time.

While the sitting legislators have fair chances of retaining their seats, the state’s political landscape will change radically with more trouble for the Congress and Telugu Desam as the results would open floodgates and their leaders migrating to the winning parties.

Perhaps the present Assembly has set a new record in its history by having by-elections four times since July 2010 when the TRS MLAs resigned demanding a separate state. The other three are in October 2011 (Banswada), March and June last year.

If held, these by-elections are crucial and can be considered “semi-finals” as the general elections are due in a year’s time. They will also decide the fate of Telugu Desam, which is making last ditch attempt to return to power in the next year’s general elections.

The 16 MLAs who voted against the government are P Sairaj (Ichapuram), T Vanitha (Gopalapuram), Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao alias Nani (Gudivada), A V Praveen Kumar Reddy (Tamballapalli), N Amarnath Reddy (Palamaner), Y Balanagi Reddy (Mantralayam), K Harishwar Reddy (Pargi), who belong to Telugu Desam, and Sujaya Venkata Krishna Ranga Rao (Bobbili), D Chandrasekhar Reddy (Kakinada), Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy (Punganur), Alla Srinivas alias Nani (Eluru), Perni Venkataramaiah alias Nani (Machilipatnam), M Rajesh Kumar (Chintalapudi), B Sivaprasada Reddy (Darsi), Gottipati Ravi Kumar (Addanki) and Jogi Ramesh (Pedana).

While one seat is in Telangana, the remaining 16 are located in Seemandhra region. All the 16 MLAs except Harishwar Reddy (who joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi), have been in YSR Congress camp.

What has surprised many is the U turn taken by Jogi Ramesh and Sivaprasada Reddy, who met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the morning giving an impression that they were supporting the government.

In fact, Ramesh was seen in the company of Minister K Parthasarathy in the Assembly and but supported the no-confidence motion at the end of the day. In a way, the YSRC avenged its loss of Putalapattu MLA Dr P Ravi, who supported YSRC till the last minute but abstained from voting around midnight in the last no confidence motion held in 2011.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Tekkali constituency Korla Bharati, who could not attend Assembly on Friday, met Roads and Building Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao in the Assembly on Saturday and explained the reason for her absence during the voting on the no-confidence motion.

She informed him that her flight from the U.S. was delayed due to which she could not attend the session.

Bharati also said that she would meet the Chief Minister and explain the situation as the Congress had issued a whip to all members to be present and vote against the no-confidence motion.