Shankar Rao opposes action against Jagan-group MLAs

Handlooms and Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao on Wednesday opined that the Congress party should not initiate disciplinary action against YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy group MLAs for violating the whip issued during the No Confidence Motion.

Talking to media persons at Congress Legislature Party Office, Shankar Rao said that the Jagan group MLAs voted against the motion as they felt that the government was not implementing the schemes of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He said the disqualification of MLAs would send wrong message among the people at this juncture. He said the disciplinary action on MLAs would also weaken the Congress party.

If the state witnesses by-elections due to disqualification of MLAs, he said the YSR Congress party would repeat the results of Kadapa and Pulivendula by-elections which it won with huge margins. As the government is presently surviving with the support of the PRP and MIM, the by-elections will further weaken the party at this critical juncture, he pointed out.

Responding to ill-treatment being meted out to him in the Cabinet, Shankar Rao said that if the Chief Minister was not satisfied with his performance he could sack him from the post. “I will never quit the post on my own,” he announced. He alleged that the Chief Minister was showing step-motherly treatment with his department and not clearing files sent by him.