YSR Congress Lawmakers Threaten To Resign At The End Of Budget Session Over AP Special Status Row
YSR Congress on Monday announced that all its MPs will sign their resignation letters whenever the budget session of parliament was adjourned sine die as the centre is not accepting their demand to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The crucial decision was taken during a meeting held in Guntur under the chairmanship of the party President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, YSRC Parliamentary Party leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy told reporters.
“Our president has directed us to submit the resignations immediately after the parliament is adjourned sine die (without conceding the party’s demand), whenever it would be and we need not wait for the April 6 deadline as specified earlier,” he said.
Jaganmohan Reddy has total of nine MPs, and they had already announced that they are going to quit parliament on April 6 as the budget session ends and the special category status is not granted.
The decision was taken in the view of rapidly changing political developments and also with the possibility of the parliament session being cut short, Rajamohan Reddy added.
The opposition party has been stepping up its pressure over the issue and was the first to move a notice for no confidence against the government in Lok Sabha. It also demanded the ruling TDP MPs to follow suit.
While addressing the MPs, the YSRC supremo said that there is no need for any prejudice in the fight against the government at the centre for not granting Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status.
“We have been honest and sincere on the issue from announcing the resignation to the no-confidence motion and have placed them before the people. Our main aim is to highlight our efforts and mount pressure on the centre to implement the assurances given in the House,” he said.
Jagmohan Reddy also stressed the need for the TDP supremo and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to follow his steps as it will have to “toe our line as he had no other go,” party leaders quoted him as having said.
He guessed that from the fact that, he was the first to move no-confidence movement in the parliament against the Central Government and the TDP followed its steps and moved another no-confidence movement independently.
Ever since the Budget 2018 announcement, both the political parties from the State of Andhra Pradesh have protested the government’s non allocation of funds and also over the issue of Special Category Status for AP. When there was no positive response from the government, the TDP pulled its ministers from the Central Cabinet and broke its alliance with BJP-led NDA. A no confidence motion was moved in the parliament by TDP as well as YSRC. Many opposition parties supported the move.