‘Idle’ MLAs irk Congress
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by NSmurthy
‘Idle’ MLAs irk Congress
Hyderabad, Sept. 14: The decision of the Congress to drop at least 70 sitting "non-performing" MLAs in the upcoming elections is snowballing into a major issue. Sources said, most of these legislators are planning to quit the party before the polls. However, as the party is in power, they plan to stick around for some more time in order to exploit maximum "power."
The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had recently said "poor performers" will not be entertained. He said this after getting the feedback from the party’s grassroots. "Dr Reddy has given enough time to the poor farmers to set their house right. These MLAs have lost credibility. Even if they quit, it would only benefit the party in the long run," said a senior leader of the party.
The party has asked the district committees to keep a tab on the MLAs who are in a dilemma. Some of the MLAs are reportedly in touch with the Praja Rajyam, the Telugu Desam and even the TRS. Dr Reddy has asked the district in-charge ministers to find the "right" candidates for the party as some of the leaders have become a "liability" to the party. After getting information about the party’s efforts to find new candidates, the sitting MLAs have started voicing their dissent.
While some of them personally met the Chief Minister and requested him to grant some more time to improve their record, some chose to revolt. Many sitting MLAs in West, East Godavari districts and Visakhapatnam have agreed to start "operation clean-up" to improve their chances of getting a ticket. But those from Rayalaseema and Telangana regions, where there is a strong Telugu Desam and TRS vote-base, are not falling in line.
"If the party decides not to give tickets, some of the leaders may switch loyalty. That actually benefits our party. They already lost image in the public and their joining in the Opposition would only improve our chances," said Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, the minister for housing.
With chances of the Congress returning to power in 2009 improving, the warning given by the Chief Minister have started working in the right direction. Some of the MLAs have started working-on their public relations and are visiting villages.
"The Chief Minister’s warning is for only those who have not been performing well," said Mr Nadendla Manohar, the MLA from Tenali. "But we must be prepared to face a knee-jerk reaction if some leaders quit the party," a senior leader added. Many MLAs in West, East Godavari districts and Vizag have agreed to improve their chances of getting a ticket.
The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had recently said "poor performers" will not be entertained. He said this after getting the feedback from the party’s grassroots. "Dr Reddy has given enough time to the poor farmers to set their house right. These MLAs have lost credibility. Even if they quit, it would only benefit the party in the long run," said a senior leader of the party.
The party has asked the district committees to keep a tab on the MLAs who are in a dilemma. Some of the MLAs are reportedly in touch with the Praja Rajyam, the Telugu Desam and even the TRS. Dr Reddy has asked the district in-charge ministers to find the "right" candidates for the party as some of the leaders have become a "liability" to the party. After getting information about the party’s efforts to find new candidates, the sitting MLAs have started voicing their dissent.
While some of them personally met the Chief Minister and requested him to grant some more time to improve their record, some chose to revolt. Many sitting MLAs in West, East Godavari districts and Visakhapatnam have agreed to start "operation clean-up" to improve their chances of getting a ticket. But those from Rayalaseema and Telangana regions, where there is a strong Telugu Desam and TRS vote-base, are not falling in line.
"If the party decides not to give tickets, some of the leaders may switch loyalty. That actually benefits our party. They already lost image in the public and their joining in the Opposition would only improve our chances," said Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, the minister for housing.
With chances of the Congress returning to power in 2009 improving, the warning given by the Chief Minister have started working in the right direction. Some of the MLAs have started working-on their public relations and are visiting villages.
"The Chief Minister’s warning is for only those who have not been performing well," said Mr Nadendla Manohar, the MLA from Tenali. "But we must be prepared to face a knee-jerk reaction if some leaders quit the party," a senior leader added. Many MLAs in West, East Godavari districts and Vizag have agreed to improve their chances of getting a ticket.
