The Telugu Desam took the drastic step of suspending four legislators for anti-party activities and defying a directive to abstain from Thursday’s Presidential election.
A fifth legislator who voted, Kodali Sri Venkateshwara, alias Nani of Gudivada, had been suspended earlier for hobnobbing with the YSR Congress.
The TD on Friday suspended Chinnam Ramakotaiah (Nuzvid), Bala Nagi Reddy (Mantralayam), Dr S. Venugopala Chari (Mudhole) and K. Harishwar Reddy (Parigi).
TD general secretary Varla Ramaiah justified their suspension saying, “They have caused immense damage to the party. In fact, they wanted to get suspended, going by their actions. They are now free birds and I feel they should be a happy lot.”
TD leaders search for reasons
TD general secretary Varla Ramaiah said the party had given them “ample opportunities to rectify their (the five MLAs) mistakes and join the mainstream.”
Mr Harishwar Reddy and Mr Venugopala Chari are angry with Mr Naidu’s “defection” on the Telangana issue after its 2008 resolution supporting Telangana. They have been hobnobbing with Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who quit the TD and formed his own outfit, and the TRS.
Mr Chari said, “We wanted the party to stand by its decision on Telangana. Since it failed to do so, we quit, but our resignations have not been accepted so far. Why are we suspended now?” He said he had not received any communication from the party regarding the election.
Justifying his decision to vote in the election, Mr Chari said the TD had previously supported the Deve Gowda government which was backed by Congress, and the NDA that was led by the NDA. It had forged an alliance with the TRS and the Left parties. “What is wrong in participating in the Presidential elections? The party backed all the national parties in the past, directly or indirectly,” he said.
Criticising Mr Naidu for “betraying” Telanga-na, Mr Harishwar Reddy said he felt “sad to leave the party.” “It’s like a mother throwing out her children,” he said.