Hyderabad:
The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh faces a no-confidence vote today that it is expected to sail through, but there were last-minute jitters brought on by the dissatisfaction of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi's MLAs in the Assembly. How many numbers each side manages today will be watched keenly.
Chiranjeevi's 18 MLAs, who were voted in as members of the Paraja Rajyam Party (PRP), which merged with the Congress earlier this year, have been grumbling that they have not been given what they call their due place in the Assembly and chose an opportune moment to send that message to the Congress leadership - just ahead of the trust-vote. For this session, the PRP is being considered a separate party.
"Our MLAs are unhappy that the Congress bosses are ignoring them as though they did not exist and, on the other hand, they were rolling out red carpet to the MLAs returning from the Jagan-camp," Chiranjeevi, said on Saturday. From Delhi, central party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel have reportedly made calls to smoothen ruffled feathers.
That seems to have worked. Chiranjeevi issued a whip yesterday to all his legislators asking them to vote against the no-confidence motion.
Chief Minister Kiran Reddy needs 144 votes to defeat the no-confidence motion moved by Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party. He has 153 Congress MLAs, not counting the 18 former PRP members. But it is important that they do not revolt especially as there is always the sword hanging of how Congressmen loyal to former Chief Minister YSR's son Jagan Mohan Reddy will vote. One member of the PRP too aligns with Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress and may vote against the PRP whip.
Officially, the YSR Congress has all of one MLA in the Assembly.
The Telangans Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) of K Chandrashekhara Rao has said its 12 MLAs will vote against the government. The main Opposition party, the TDP has 86 MLAs.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has 294 seats. There are seven vacancies due to death or resignations. Which is why the government needs only 144 to make the half-way mark to 287, the current strength of the House.