Hyderabad: Opposition Telugu Desam Party on Wednesday night submitted petitions to Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar seeking disqualification of nine of its MLAs for defying the party line.
It sought disqualification of MLAs Amarnath Reddy, Praveen Kumar Reddy, Y Balanagi Reddy, Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao, Chinnam Ramakotaiah, Taneti Vanitha, Sairaj, K Harishwar Reddy and S Venugopalachari for violating the party whip and voting in support of the no-confidence motion, moved by TRS, against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government on March 15.
The main Opposition party had decided to stay "neutral" on the no-confidence motion and accordingly issued a whip to its legislators.
Six of these legislators have joined the YSR Congress, while Harishwar Reddy has joined the TRS. Venugopalachari has been moving close to TRS, but is yet to formally become a member of the sub-regional party.
Ramakotaiah has not joined any other party though he has distanced himself from the TDP.
Of these rebel MLAs, Venugopalachari did not vote in favour of the no-confidence but supported it when it was put for consideration of the House.
TDP MLAs Payyavula Keshav and P Ramulu met the Speaker at his residence here tonight and submitted disqualification petitions signed by party whip Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar.
The ruling Congress, too, submitted petitions to the Assembly Speaker last week seeking disqualification of nine of its MLAs who voted against the government.
PTI
