Hyderabad, Jan 18 (IANS) A group of 17 legislators loyal to YSR Congress Party have refused to appear before Andhra Pradesh assembly Speaker N. Manohar in response to his notices, and maintained that they should be disqualified.

The speaker had summoned 16 rebel legislators of the ruling Congress and one of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) to hear them personally on the disqualification petitions submitted by their respective parties. The speaker had issued notices to the legislators asking them to meet him individually between Jan 18 and Jan 22.

However, the legislators held a meeting at YSR Congress Party office Wednesday and decided not to depose before the speaker. maintaining ghat there is no change in their stand that they should be disqualified.

“We have already made our stand clear and there is no change in it. We want the speaker to disqualify all of us immediately to pave way for the by-elections,” said P. Subhash Chandra Bose, who was accompanied by other legislators.

The legislators had met the speaker on Dec 26 and explained the reasons for violating the party whip.

The legislators had voted for the no-confidence motion moved by opposition Telugu Desam Party against the Congress government in the assembly on Dec 5, thus violating the whip. Under the law, legislators are required to abide by the whip of the party they belong to.

Both the Congress and the PRP had later submitted petitions to the speaker, seeking the rebels’ disqualification.

“There is nothing new that we have to say. We have clearly mentioned as to why we have defied the Congress whip and voted in favour of the no-confidence motion,” Bose said.

He said the exercise of deposing before the speaker as and when summoned and explaining the same reasons serves no purpose.

YSR Congress Party wants the speaker to disqualify all the legislators in one go so that by-elections to all the vacant seats are held simultaneously.