The Congress has reacted strongly to defection by its MLAs and has decided to issue show-cause notices to them.
At a press conference here on Wednesday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, former president Ponnala Laxmaiah, former Leader of Opposition K. Jana Reddy and other leaders said the Assembly Speaker, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, would also be approached by the party to disqualify the MLAs who have crossed over to the ruling TRS.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the MLAs were leaving the party to have an access constituency development fund sanctioned by the government. It amounted to government not wanting to release the funds to MLAs of Opposition parties.
The defections were an insult to the people who elected the MLAs. It was an immoral act by the government which people should not tolerate. The Congress would have no objection if the MLAs also quit their posts.
They said a vote for TRS in the coming Parliament elections would go down the drain as the party wasted away five years in rule. None of its promises such as railway wagon factory at Kazipet, steel plant at Bayyaram and revival of Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) were fulfilled. The party made no effort even to get the assurances given in the State bifurcation law conceded.
If the Congress got more seats than the TRS, it would revive the ITIR and ensure an investment of ₹2.5 lakh crore, beside providing employment to 50 lakh people. The State unit of the party would mount pressure on the Centre to extend population-based reservation to tribals by making a provision in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. The party would also get national status to a major irrigation project in the State.
They also said the Chief Minister was hand in glove with the BJP government at the Centre as he was scared that he might face police cases otherwise. Mr. Rao has not reacted so far to 10% reservation to economically backward classes announced by the Centre.
Congress MLA of Munugode, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, challenged the claim of the TRS that it would win 16 out of 17 seats in the coming elections. He said the dark days of emergency were revived under the TRS rule.
