YSRCP suspends four MLAs in Andhra Pradesh for cross voting in MLC elections

The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh has suspended four rebel MLAs who voted for the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate in Legislative Council elections from MLA quota. The decision came a day after the YSRCP suffered a shock defeat for one of the seven Council seats from MLAs quota. Two of the suspended MLAs, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, had already raised the banner of revolt, while two others, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy and Undavalli Sridevi, were identified after the MLC election results on Thursday. The action against Sridhar Reddy came a few hours after he joined the TDP. YSRCP General Secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy told media persons that the disciplinary committee of the party decided to suspend the four MLAs after they resorted to cross-voting, which he alleged was due to being lured with money by TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu, who he claimed purchased each MLA for Rs 10 to Rs 15 crore. The YSRCP has 151 members in the 175-member Assembly and was confident of securing votes of four rebel MLAs of the TDP and the lone MLA of Jana Sena Party (JSP). The TDP, which had 23 seats in the Assembly, was left with 19 members as four others had switched loyalties to the YSRCP. Chandrasekhar Reddy welcomed the party’s decision to suspend him. In response to the suspension, Kotamreddy Giridhar Reddy, ex-president of the YSRCP Seva Dal, along with a large number of his followers joined the TDP in the presence of Chandrababu Naidu at the party headquarters. Chandrababu predicted that Jagan Mohan Reddy, the YSRCP’s party president and Chief Minister, will not win the next election.