Revanth Reddy remains elusive on party defections

Defending the appointment of PAC chairman, he maintained that the post was given to the "opposition".

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy remained elusive over the issue of defections of legislators from the BRS into the Congress amidst a raging controversy over the nomination of a turncoat MLA Arekapudi Gandhi as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Even as the political heat turned up in the State capital with Congress workers attacking BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy‘s house while the police stood as mute spectators, the Chief Minister told mediapersons in Delhi on Thursday that the three MLAs’ defection issue was in the domain of the Court and Speaker G Prasad Kumar.

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“The Speaker would take a decision [on the defection]. If the anti-defection rules were strong, the Congress government does not have to worry. If there is no scope for defection, it augurs good for us,” Revanth Reddy said.

Defending the appointment of PAC chairman, he maintained that the post was given to the “opposition”. On the last day of the Assembly session, the BRS members count was announced as 38 but they had not opposed it then, he argued.

He argued that from 2019, MIM Floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi served as PAC Chairman. “How could he continue in the position, if the Congress was main opposition party then”, he asked. Countering the BRS demands for action over Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, the Chief Minister in turn argued that the BRS should suspend Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy for his abusive language and comments.

Earlier, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud exuded confidence that there would not be any bye-elections due to defection of MLAs. Even if the elections were held, the Congress would win comfortably, he maintained. He said the party would welcome any MLA who shifted to the Congress after getting impressed with our policies. The AICC would take a final call on cabinet expansion, constitution of new committees, including new working presidents according priority for backward classes, he added.

Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy called on the AICC presidnet Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary K C Venugopal to discuss the issue of cabinet expansion and filling up of nominated posts in the government and the party.