The other leaders who Jagan called on include Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Sharad Yadav (JDU), Sitaram Yechuri (CPM) and Suvaram Sudhakar Reddy (CPI). Jagan said he would send his representation to the PM and other BJP leaders seeking a debate on the need to change anti-defection laws.
Jagan prepared a three-page long memorandum seeking amendments to the anti-defection law that was incorporated in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, barring the defectors, who are facing disqualification petitions, from becoming ministers. Jagan intends to stay in New Delhi for a couple of days to meet the national leaders.
According to K. Vijaya Sai Reddy, YSR Congress Rajya Sabha member, who spoke to this newspaper on phone from New Delhi, “Jagan is on now a ‘save democracy mission’ in New Delhi.”
Jagan’s MPs are also planning to raise the issue in Parliament next week, exposing how an ally of BJP was working against the spirit of the Constitution. YSR Congress has started mobilising support of some BJP leaders on the ground that the “violation of Constitutional spirit” would damage the image of PM Modi.
Naidu stirred a controversy by making four YSR Congress MLAs ministers in the Cabinet reshuffle that took place on 2 April. They are Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao, A. Adinarayana Reddy, N. Amarnatha Reddy and Bhuma Akhila Priya. Jagan’s 21 MLAs have defected to the ruling party in the last one year. In the 2014 elections, YSR Congress won 67 out of the 175 Assembly constituencies.
Jagan has filed petitions before AP Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, seeking disqualification of the 21 MLAs who switched sides. However, the Speaker is yet to commence proceedings on the petitions. At the conclusion of the Budget session on 31 March, the Speaker announced that YSR Congress’ strength is 66 (one member died). Jagan mentioned this in his memorandum.
“There is a law that disqualifies defectors even for violation of a whip or discipline. Can’t they be punished for joining the Cabinet?” YSR Congress spokesman Ambati Rambabu wondered.
Jagan has tried his best to prevail upon Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan from swearing in the defectors on the ground that it amounted to defeating the spirit of the Constitution. However, the Governor went ahead with the swearing-in of four of them as there was no provision in the Constitution that bars defectors from becoming ministers.
A spokesman of the Raj Bhawan in Hyderabad told this newspaper that the Governor was criticised by the TDP when he administered the oath of office and secrecy to one of its defected MLAs, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, into the K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s TRS Cabinet two years ago. “On both occasions, the Governor had simply followed the Constitution,” said the spokesman.
Jagan is worried that the defectors belong to his Reddy community and hail from Rayalaseema region, which is considered to be his stronghold.
Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Daggubati Purandeswari also wrote a letter to the PM on Wednesday objecting to the induction of the defectors into the Naidu Cabinet.
TDP senior leader and MLC Buddha Venkanna said that the present constitutional position doesn’t prohibit anyone from becoming a minister, provided they become legislators within six months.
Meanwhile, CM Naidu on Saturday said that he welcomed the debate on amending anti-defection laws at the national level. He said that the four ministers from YSR Congress had submitted their resignations to the Speaker and a decision on their papers would be taken by the chair soon. He termed the four “defector ministers” as “efficient” and “meritorious”.