Congress yet to act against 'rebels'

HYDERABAD: The Congress Legislature Party(CLP) could not take up the disqualification procedure for the 17 ruling party MLAs with speaker Nadendla Manohar on Thursday as the party whip was out of station.
Congress whip Kondru Murali is away in his native Srikakulam district constituency to attend some pre-scheduled event
and slated to return to the city on Friday. Vanga Geeta, the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) whip, too, was away, visiting her native East Godavari district.
While Congress is yet to initiate disqualification proceedings against the MLAs for defying the party whip and voting for the no-confidence motion moved last Monday by TDP, PRP is to take action against member Shobha Nagi Reddy for the same violation. Of the 17 Congress MLAs, 16 had voted for the motion while one had abstained.
The process will be initiated on Friday, it was learnt.

Meanwhile, CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy spoke to party state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad over the phone and secured his permission to go ahead with the disqualification of the party MLAs. Azad returned from Dubai on Thursday morning after attending a medical conference.
The chief minister Thursday informed senior leaders about his intention to conduct a survey in all 25 assembly constituencies where bypolls would be held in the next six months. "The Congress is now preparing for the final battle with YS Jaganmohan Reddy," said a minister in the Kiran cabinet.