Nine TDP MLAs suspended, as session closes!

[Anta Assamey]

As many as nine legislators belonging to Telugu Desam Party were suspended from the state assembly for a day for obstructing the speech of finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy on the discussion over Amaravati capital issue.

Speaker Tammineni Sitaram pronounced suspension of Nimmala Rama Naidu, K Achen Naidu, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Eluri Sambasiva Rao, Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Maddali Giri, Bendalam Ashok, Gadde Rammohan and Anagani Satyaprasad for a day.

The suspension was made following a suggestion from chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was angry with the TDP members for creating a ruckus in the assembly by objecting to the allegations made by Buggana against the previous TDP government on the capital region issue.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu made a desperate attempt to defend his decision to construct the capital at Amaravati, while the YSRC members successfully countered his argument by alleging that Naidu had chosen the place for capital as part of insider trading to benefit his party leaders and their benamis to purchase over 4,000 acres of land in the area.

The MLAs were demanding that their party president and leader of opposition be given an opportunity to counter the allegations made by the YSRC members.

Ironically, the suspension of nine members comes at a time when the winter session of the state assembly was coming to a close. So, for all practical purposes, their suspension hardly made any difference to the TDP.