Speaker calls for meeting of TRS leaders, dissidents

Hyderabad, June 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy today called for a joint meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leadership and the nine dissidents who were reported to have voted for Mahajan party candidate Kasani Gnaneswar, defying the party's whip during the recent legislative council elections.

TRS founder and President K Chandrasekhara Rao had complained to the Speaker that nine members of the party had defied the party's whip and voted for an independent and urged him to disqualify them.

Following the complaint, Mr Reddy issued show cause notices to the dissidents and received their replies.

Not satisfied with the action of the Speaker, the TRS moved the Supreme Court praying for the disqualification of the dissidents.

Meanwhile, the Speaker called for a meeting of both sides to listen to their arguments.

Among the nine dissidents, Kasipeta Lingaiah and Soyam Bapu Rao were in judicial custody in connection with a human trafficking racket. The other seven members - Sara Rani, Mandadi Satyanarayana Reddy, Santosh Reddy, Geetla Mukunda Reddy, Thoorpu Jayaprakash Reddy, Narayana Rao Patel and Dugyala Srinivasa Rao were expected to attend the meeting.

UNI