TPCC tells legislators to quit posts before joining TRS

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee strongly condemned the exodus of leaders from Congress party into the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Speaking to media persons after the TPCC Coordination Committee meeting at Gandhi Bhavan here on Friday, TPCC President Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Leader of the Opposition K Jana Reddy and CLP leader in Legislative Council D Srinivas accused Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of practising immoral politics by encouraging defections in opposition parties. Referring to the joining of some Congress legislators into the TRS, they advised their party men to resign from their posts before joining the ruling party. "If they are confident of enjoying public support, then they should first resign as MLA or MLC before joining the TRS," Ponnala said.

The Telangana Congress leaders also announced that they would again request Assembly Speaker S Madhusudan Chary and Council Chairman Swamy Goud to disqualify the rebel legislators. They alleged that KCR was luring the Congress legislators to weaken the opposition in Telangana. In a democracy, they said no government could function properly in the absence of a strong opposition. Therefore, instead of breaking the opposition parties, KCR should focus on improving his administration, they said.

They also accused KCR of having failed to prevent the farmers' suicide and resolve the energy crisis. They alleged that the TRS Government did not approach the Centre to seek its help in overcoming energy crisis.