12 TDP MLAs merge with TRS, party has 3 left

Hyderabad: In a controversial decision, TS Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudhana Chary on Thursday accepted the merger of 12 TD MLAs into the TRS Legislature Party and allotted them seats in the Treasury benches.

The Assembly issued a bulletin on Thursday stating that the Speaker, after considering the TD MLAs’ plea seeking merger with the TRS since they constituted more than two-thirds of the TDLP in the House, agreed to allot seats in the Treasury benches. The 12 MLAs include minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav and legislature party leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao. With this decision the strength of the TRS in the Assembly rose from 66 to 78 officially, without considering the defection of four Congress and two YSR Congress MLAs in the House of 120.

Now, Mr Srinivas Yadav, who had joined the K. Chandrasekhar Rao Cabinet on December 17, 2014, need not seek re-election. He had tendered his resignation as an MLA on the day he took oath as minister, but it had not been accepted. He may now formally inform the Speaker about the withdrawal of his resignation letter.