Speaker returns but is indisposed

HYDERABAD: Assembly speaker Nadendla Manohar is likely to take a decision soon on the resignations tendered by 26 MLAS loyal to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on August 22.Though the speaker returned here from his native Guntur district on Wednesday night, he did not go to the Assembly on Thursday as he was slightly indisposed.Sources in the Assembly secretariat said he was suffering from cold and viral fever, and did not answer phone calls.He is expected to attend his office in a day or two and get down to the business of dealing with the resignations sooner than later.The Congress is likely to inform the speaker that the MLAs had resigned from the party too and would, therefore, attract the provisions of the anti-defection law.PCC president B Satyanarayana is understood to have conveyed to the speaker that it would be better if their resignations were accepted.Of the Congress MLAs sailing with Jagan Mohan Reddy, three _ Jayasudha,K Surekha and K Satyavathy _ did not resign, contending that they had already resigned in the past on the issue of Telangana.Since the speaker had dismissed their resignations, he may, if he wants to, disqualify them if the Congress files an affidavit to the effect that they resigned from the party’s membership.Of the three, Surekha is also facing charges of indiscipline.Other Congress MLAs facing disciplinary charges are: C Adinarayana Reddy, G Srikanth Reddy and A Amarnath Reddy.The speaker can disqualify them on three counts, if he wishes.They had resigned from their party and Assembly and there are disciplinary proceedings against them.Similar disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated against TDP’s Y Balanagi Reddy and N Prasanna Kumar Reddy.The resignations pending before the speaker also include those of four rebel TDP MLAs _ N Janardhan Reddy, S Venugopala Chary, K Harishwar Reddy and Jogu Ramanna on the Telangana issue.The speaker will have to take a decision in their case too.