LS Speaker rejects 13 Andhra MPs resignation

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today rejected the resignations submitted by 13 MPs from Andhra Pradesh, including ten from Congress and two of YSR Congress, against the decision on Telangana, holding these were "not voluntary or genuine".

After a lull, the tussle over Telangana is back in the political circles here. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday rejected the resignation of 13 anti-Telangana MPs of Andhra Pradesh from the House. The legislators, however, plan to stick to their stand and repeat the mass resignation episode.

HT Image

Kumar rejected their letters as she felt they were not tendered voluntarily — a pre-condition for accepting resignations — after talking to seven of these MPs personally. Sources claimed that as some MPs had openly said that they are under pressure from their voters to resign. Thus, she did not consider the set of resignations as voluntary. Kumar also personally met seven MPs while others failed to meet her to explain their position.

But an undeterred Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, a senior MP of this group that resigned in protest to creation of Telangana, told HT, “The matter is not yet over. We will continue to press for our resignation. We can not remain silent when the state is getting divided.”