If Opposition MLA Wants To Join Party, He Has To Quit His Post: YS Jagan 

Amaravati: Taking a positive approach, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said that he would not be making the same mistakes as his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu. He announced that he would neither engineer or encourage defection from the Opposition party into his party and said that if any Opposition MLA wishes to join the YSR Congress Party, he or she has to resign from the assembly membership first.

Speaking in the assembly while congratulating the newly elected Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, the YSRCP president said that if the MLA doesn't quit the MLA post, Speaker of Assembly can right away disqualify him.

“There will be no difference between them (TDP) and us (YSRCP) if we were to indulge in such (undemocratic) practices. We will ensure that the constitutional and democratic values are upheld through this Assembly.”

Talking about the TDP, he said the Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had admitted 23 MLAs and three MPs from the YSRCP in the last term without making them quit their posts.

“They had engineered defections and taken 23 out of 63 MLAs when we were in Opposition. Similarly, three of our MPs were illegally snatched way. God’s script is so beautiful that they are now left with 23 MLAs and three MPs. And the coincidence is that the verdict too came on May 23,” he quipped.

YS Jagan asserted that he would not take such a step and wants Chandrababu Naidu to be the Opposition leader as he says 'the presence of Opposition is essential in a democracy'.

“While I was entering the assembly, some of our party MLAs suggested that if I could attract five TDP MLAs into the YSRCP. This would ensure that Naidu loses the Leader of Opposition status. But I told them that if I do it, there would be no difference between me and Naidu. I want Naidu to be the leader of opposition, as I strongly believe the presence of opposition is essential in a democracy,” said YS Jagan.

Reacting to YS Jagan's remark, Chandrababu Naidu said that it was unfortunate that the leader of the House had chosen to attack the Opposition on the very first day. He pointed out that defections are not new to politics and added that his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy himself had defected from Reddy Congress to Indira Congress in 1975.

Hitting back, YS Jagan said that Chandrababu's comment was like a killer defending himself citing murders in the past.

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