Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh assembly Speaker N. Manohar Saturday accepted resignations of two lawmakers, both rebels of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

In a move ahead of the winter session of the assembly, which is likely to begin early next month, Manohar accepted the resignations of N. Janardhana Reddy and N. Prasanna Kumar Reddy.

While Janardhana Reddy had resigned in support of the demand for a separate Telangana state, Prasanna Kumar submitted his resignation along with ruling Congress party legislators loyal to YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

With this, the speaker began the process to dispose of resignations of 81 lawmakers submitted for various reasons during the last few months.

The TDP has sought the disqualification of Prasanna Kumar Reddy but the speaker rejected this request by accepting his resignation while Janardhana Reddy has been insisting that his resignation be accepted.

The speaker has not yet taken a decision of resignation of three other TDP rebel lawmakers in support of Telangana state.

In all, 53 lawmakers from Telangana region including 32 of the TDP, 12 of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and four of Congress had submitted their resignations demanding separate statehood to the region.

Twenty-eight other lawmakers including 26 of the ruling party and loyal to Jaganmohan Reddy quit protesting the attempts to link his father and late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to alleged irregularities in land allotments by his government.

The speaker is under pressure to take a decision on the requests for disqualification of three rebel lawmakers of Congress and one of TDP and on the resignations of other lawmakers.

The process assumes significance in view of the claims by opposition that the Congress government has been reduced to a minority in the 294-member assembly. The TDP also plans to move a no-confidence motion against the government.