The absence of as many as 18 MLAs belonging to ruling YSR Congress party during the voting on crucial resolution introduced in the Andhra Pradesh assembly on abolition of state legislative council on Monday evening is learnt to have angered chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Out of 151 MLAs of the ruling party, setting aside speaker Tammineni Sitaram, only 132 MLAs of YSRC took part in the voting, apart from lone Jana Sena Party MLA Rapaka Varaprasad. So, in all, 133 member took part in the voting, indicating that as many as 18 MLAs stayed away from voting.
As a matter of fact, there were only 121 MLAs of the YSRC in the assembly when the Speaker ordered closure of the doors of the House after the ringing of quorum bell.
However, the officials reportedly alerted the Speaker that many MLAs were not present in the House. So, the Speaker called for a register of the MLAs to buy some time and in the meanwhile, some of the YSRC MLAs moving in the lobbies were forced to return to the House.
Yet, when the Speaker ordered the closure of the doors again, there were only 133 members in the House, including Rapaka. Having no other option, Sitaram went ahead with voting.
The YSRC leaders are trying to cover up the absence of the MLAs saying they had stayed away from the House due to communication gap, as they were not aware of the necessity of voting.
However, there is a talk that these 18 YSRC MLAs including whips Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Dadishetty Raja deliberately abstained from voting.
Jagan reportedly made enquiries about their absence and warned them of serious action for defying the party orders.
He is learnt to have said their absence had sent wrong signals to the party cadre. There is no information yet as to what action he would initiate against them.