Handlooms & Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao on Wednesday opined that the Congress party must not initiate disciplinary action against its MLAs who had supported Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for violating the whip issued during the recent
No Confidence Motion.
Talking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party Office, Shankar Rao said that the Jagan-camp MLAs had voted against the motion only since they felt that the government was not implementing the schemes of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
He said that the disqualification of these MLAs would send a wrong message to people at this juncture. He said that disciplinary action against MLAs would also weaken the Congress.
If the state witnesses by-elections due to the disqualification of MLAs, the YSR Congress party would repeat the results of the Kadapa and Pulivendula by-elections, which it won with huge margins, he opined.
As the government is currently surviving with the support of the the PRP and the MIM, by-elections will further weaken the party at this critical juncture, he stated.
Responding to his
complaints of his ministry being neglected, 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 giving his department step-motherly treatment, and that he was not clearing files sent by him. (INN)