Hyderabad: Questioning as to how they can merge a National party as Congress with a regional party as TRS, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Speaker does not hold the power to initiate the merger of one political party with the other as per the Indian Constitution and Supreme Court's ruling. He also said that no CLP meeting is permissible without the permission of the president of TPCC.

In a letter to Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, he wrote regarding the numerous defections that rocked the Congress party. Urging the Speaker to uphold democratic values and disqualify all the MLAs who deserted Congress to join TRS, he accused the Speaker of ignoring the defections of CLP to TRSLP in the recent past and failing to correct the irregularities of the defections that reflects “unconstitutional and undemocratic” setting.

The Congress leader questioned on the aspect of an MLA joining TRS from the Congress without resigning from the party on whose ticket he got elected and asked the Speaker to accept the disqualification petition by the Congress as per the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

In the letter, Uttam Kumar Reddy wrote, "All the MLAs are happy when you were elected as Speaker who has been in the public service for decades. Congress also cooperated for your election. But I'm worried that you didn't respond properly to some of the constitutional and democratic measures that are taking place in the state. Many of the Congress MLAs and TDP MLAs have made public statements that they are joining TRS.

The applications that Congress has given seeking disqualification of these MLAs are pending with you. We have no objection to anyone leaving the Congress and going into the TRS. But they have to resign from the party ticket and then change the party. In order to preserve democratic values

in the state, we would like to disqualify these MLAs as per the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. While the disqualified petitions were pending, two MLAs from the Congress went to the TRS office to take their party bills and openly announce the merger of the CLP in the TRS.

According to the news coming in the media, they will decide to merge the CLP with TRSLP. In such a case, you would like to consider some things. The Speaker does not have the power to merge a party to another party. The CEPP meeting should not be held without the TPCC Chief. Declare Congress MLAs immediately disqualified from the party. Do not take any applications or demands from them until they make that decision.

According to the Constitution of the Congress Party, a national party should not be incorporated into the regional party. I want to take my letter to the caveat. Please let us know through a notice if the CLP meeting is conducted. As per the pending petitions, immediately disqualify the party MLAs."

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