In a development that should ring alarm bells for the Congress leadership, at least six ruling party MLAs could tender their resignation before the first week of February to pressure the Centre to announce its decision on Telangana.
Their aim apparently is to bring the Congress government into a minority and give Opposition parties an opportunity to demand a floor test in the Assembly. The Congress has 155 members in the 294-member Assembly, but seven among them have openly pledged their support to the YSR Congress.
Highly placed sources said the issue of moving a no confidence motion figured in a meeting between former Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao here on Friday. It is learnt that the TRS, with the help of other political parties, will meet the Governor and order the Chief Minister to take a floor test. It is banking on the BJP (three MLAs), MIM (seven) and others to support the no confidence motion. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Venkat Reddy said that Mr. Rao and he had discussed the future course of action to be adopted to realise statehood. “We know what it takes to topple the government. It is not the prerogative of the Seemandhra leaders who have threatened to pull down the government as a pressure tactic to influence the Centre,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Congress MPs held a meeting at the residence of Manda Jagannath and resolved to take some drastic decision, including resignation from the ruling party, to pressure the Centre.