Hyderabad, January 14: The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy camp is confident that the Congress is not in a position to take action against any of its MLAs who took part in the former MP’s programmes in Vijayawada and Delhi.
“The Congress is on the defensive. Our leader has already warned the Congress against taking action against the MLAs and told the party what would happen if it does. The party is in a jam,” a senior J camper said.
Jagan’s loyalists believe that the Congress cannot dream of asking the deputy speaker to disqualify the MLAs, as happened in Karnataka.
“On what basis can the speaker disqualify the MLAs? In the Karnataka case, the MLAs there gave it in writing to the governor that they had no faith in the chief minister. Here we have done no such thing. We only took part in two programmes which were basically intended to espouse the farmers’ cause. If you call that anti-party activity, what name do you have for the hunger strike by the Telangana Congress MPs for withdrawal of cases against students recently?” the leader argued.
In the Congress camp too, no one is keen on action against the MLAs since they fear that Jagan Mohan Reddy might execute his threat and pull down the government. Though the Kiran Kumar Reddy government is trying to secure the support of the MIM, PRP and even the TRS, it is not confident of regaining stability since no one knows the number of potential defectors in the party. The Jagan camp keeps hinting that it has more than 50 MLAs though only 25 showed up in Delhi. This, however, is unnerving to the Congress leadership. President’s rule is something that is being talked about but one wonders whether the party would be in favour of central rule in a state where it is in power. “If the Congress resorts to President’s rule, it will be selfinflicted humiliation,” one Congress leader said.
For the speaker to declare an MLA ineligible, he should get a letter in writing from the chief whip of the party to the effect that the MLAs concerned had defied the party line. He would have to furnish ample proof. That proof would be disputed by the MLAs. Even if the speaker resorts to disqualification, it may not stand in a court since, according to Jagan Mohan Reddy loyalists, the court would go by the proof furnished.
Already, intimidatory voices are being heard that if the Congress resorts to disqualifying the MLAs, it would be like stirring a hornets’ nest. J camper Konda Surekha advises the Congress not to resort to such a measure in its own interest.
The state party leadership will act on the MLAs disqualification issue only after getting specific instructions from the Congress high command, which is unlikely. The state leadership is not ready to act on its own, but prefers to keep a close watch on developments involving party MLAs and to send relevant reports to the national leadership for necessary action. The Congress might let the status quo continue, with Jagan MLAs openly defying the party and the party adopting a waitandwatch attitude.
“The Congress’ goose is cooked. It is amusing for us to watch the predicament of the Congress,” one Jagan loyalist said.
—Agencies