Maktal MLA's defection unnerves Congress leaders

The Maktal MLA, Chittem Rammohan Reddy, leaving the Congress Party and joining the ruling TRS on Wednesday, has unnerved the party leadership in Telangana. Senior Congress leaders such as K. Jana Reddy have found fault with the Congress defectors. The MLA defectors should, while resigning from the Congress, first explain the reasons why they were doing so to their constituents. Jana Reddy deplored that the Anti-Defection Law was being reduced to a farce. The Anti-Defection Act was not working to curb defections. The ruling parties were taking advantage of the lacunae in the Anti-Defection Act and undermining the law. The Congress said the party would not tolerate any more defections. The party was prepared to appeal to the Supreme Court in the matter. Rammohan Reddy happens to the brother of former Minister DK Aruna, who belongs to Mahbubnagar district, which was once a stronghold of the Congress. It was over differences with Aruna that Jupalli Krishna Rao had first jumped from the Congress and defected to the TDP. As Telangana Minister Jupalli was said to have weaned away Rammohan Reddy from the Congress.