Sampath Kumar Sore With Jana Reddy, To Quit As Whip

Expressing regret over the "negligent" attitude of his party's MLAs, Congress Whip in the Telangana Assembly S A Sampath Kumar today announced that he would tender his resignation for the post.

Speaking to the media after the adjournment of the House on Saturday, Kumar, who spoke on the SC/ST Sub-Plan demand, lamented that the State government had not allowed him to speak on the sub-plan as part of the clarifications on Friday.

He said that the Congress members and CLP leader K Jana Reddy had failed to extend their support in mounting pressure on the Chair to give him a chance to speak on the subject.

Kumar alleged that he had high respect for Jana Reddy, but that the latter should have tried harder to get the Chair to give him (Kumar) a chance to him to speak on the subject as part of clarifications.

He said that Jana Reddy used to ask the Chair to give Kalwakurthy MLA Ch Vamshichand Reddy a chance to speak in the House, but the same Jana Reddy failed to do that for him on Friday.

He also alleged that the Chief Minister had signaled to the Chair not to give a chance to him to speak on the SC/ST Sub-Plan as part of clarifications.

He said that the same state government had succeeded in getting the Bhoodan Bill, which allowed dacoits and encroachers to grab lands easily, passed in the House easily.

He, however, swore that he would not join the TRS under any circumstances.

"The Congress gave me political birth. So I will not join the TRS. Nobody should think I will join the ruling party," he said.