CLP meeting today to pre-empt merger attempt of defecting MLAs

With the number of defecting MLAs reaching 10, higher than those now actually in the party, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is meeting on Friday to take stock of the situation.

Jajula Surender, Congress MLA from Yellareddy met the TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday night and released a letter stating that he plans to quit Congress and join the TRS for development of his constituency. Mr. Surender’s exit has left the Congress with just 9 MLAs out of the 19 elected.

The Congress now fears that all the 10 MLAs who decided to quit may form a group and claim themselves to be the original CLP and seek merger with the TRS Legislature Party (TRSLP) to escape from anti-defection law and also leave the space open for legal challenge that may take years for the final verdict to be delivered. The CLP by meeting on Friday apparently wants to pre-empt any such move by those who plan to defect. The fear emerges from the fact that similar strategy was adopted by the TRS to merge CLP with TRSLP in the Telangana Legislative Council and it was immediately accepted by the Council Chairman Swamy Goud.

In the previous Assembly too, the TDP members resorted to similar tactics. After leaving the party and garnering the numbers, 12 of the 15 MLAs appealed to Speaker Madhusudhana Chary seeking TDPLP merger with TRSLP, and it was immediately accepted. Recently, similar merger was witnessed in Goa Assembly when two MLAs of Maharashtra Gomantak Party merged it with the BJP.

A similar effort will be made now as defectors are higher than those remaining in the Congress, said a senior leader.

However, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said they don’t expect the defected MLAs to resort to any such move as it would be illegal, and even courts have given clear judgements on that. Continuation of a leader of the party rests with the party president and so does the legal status of the LP. Moreover, the party wants to make it clear, no member can hold a CLP meeting without the permission of CLP leader.

Unless the party president gives a letter on merger it will be invalid. “If the TRS encourages defecting MLAs it will become a national issue,” he said. TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the High Court had already termed the merger of TDPLP into TRSLP illegal. Mr. Vikramarka said the CLP meeting is to discuss arrangements for Mr Rahul Gandhi’s tour of Telangana on April 1.