Hyderabad: AICC leader and former Union law minister Veerappa Moily said the party would complain to the Lok Pal about the defections of MLAs in the state. He said defections were like “blood cancer”.
Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Mr Moily said that after the Lok Sabha elections the Congress would come to power at the Centre and would amend the anti-defection law to control floor-crossing.
He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi had taken up the issue of defections seriously and the party would take up an agitation at the national level against it.
He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao would have to reply why he was encouraging defections after even winning a majority in the Assembly. He alleged that Mr Rao was bringing pressure on the Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman to not disqualify defected Congress MLAs and MLCs.
Mr Moily alleged that all resignation letters of the defectors were prepared at Mr Rao’s official residence Pragathi Bhavan and were in the same format. He alleged that Mr Rao was misusing his powers and the Election Commission would have to take action on this.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Mr Rao was “murdering” democracy by admitting MLAs and MLCs of other parties. He alleged that the TRS was “purchasing” Congress MLAs with illegally earned money. He claimed the party had evidence that Mr Rao was involved in the defections. Mr Reddy said the party would fight the issue in court.
Opposition leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that Mr Rao was trying that to ensure that there would be no opposition to ensure that no one questions him about any irregularities. AICC general secretary R.C. Khuntia demanded that the defected MLAs quit their Assembly seats as they had got elected on Congress tickets.
