Parties Slam Pro-Jagan MLAs

The Jagan factor in Andhra Pradesh politics runs deeper than is immediately apparent.

Threatened by supporters of the former Congress MP, party leaders of the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) are all coming down hard on rebel MLAs who have either tacitly or explicitly joined hands with Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

Jagan, former Congress MP and son of former chief minister the late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, is the President of his newly-founded party, the YSR Congress Party.

Petitions have been submitted to the Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, seeking the disqualification of these MLAs.

The TDP has served a notice to Nallapu Reddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, and the Kovvur MLA has been asked to present himself before the Speaker on 28 June. Mantralayam MLA Y Balanagi Reddy has also been served a notice by the TDP.

PRP MLAs Bhuma Shobha Nagi Reddy and P Rami Reddy have been served notices as well.

In the Congress, Konda Surekha, Amarnath Reddy, Srikanth Reddy and Adinarayana Reddy are the 4 rebel MLAs who have been served disqualification notices. This hasn't broken any spirits, though - Konda Surekha proudly claims she can contest the elections and win irrespective of which party she is tied to, because "she works for the people".

The Congress, led by the efforts of newly-appointed PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana (who is being egged on by colleague CM Kiran Kumar Reddy), will also serve warnings to 8 other rebel MLAs, and will instruct them to mend their ways.